Hitler's Stealth Fighter

[FLYBOYJ]

A WW2 design which led to post-war Northrop flying wing XB-35 and YP-49s - which ultimately led to the B-2A, was the Northrop XP-56.

Not true - although we know about Jack Northrop's obsession with flying wing designs, by the time the B-2 was on the drawing board he had been long gone and Northrop Aircraft was a way different company from when he ran it. A flying wing platform was chosen more as a matter than function rather than previous designs or Northrop's design legacy. Having worked on the B-2, I can tell you that many of the people who ran the B-2 program probably never heard of the XP-56 and knew little about the XB-35 and YB-49.

This was the aircraft that led the way for the B-2.

Northrop Tacit Blue - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Pre-war the British experimented, not very successfully, with the Westland-Hill Pterodactyl series. A WW2 design which led to post-war Northrop flying wing XB-35 and YP-49s

BTW - although the Westland-Hill Pterodactyl flew before some of Northrop's flying wings (he was building any flying flying wings before WW2) I doubt the Pterodactyl any any influence on Northrop's XB-35 and YB-49 which were actually designed and constructed during the war years.

"An order for 13 YB-35 service test aircraft was placed in September 1942 and another order for 200 production B-35Bs was placed in June 1943. It soon became apparent, however, that the aircraft would not be ready in time for use in World War II. Furthermore, jet bomber prototypes already on the drawing board made the propeller driven XB-35 obsolete before its first flight. The Army decided to continue the B-35 program, but only in test status. The B-35B order was canceled and the YB-35 order was amended to include conversions to jet powered aircraft (YB-49 and YRB-49A). The development of the XB-35 continued but at a slower pace, and the first flight of the XB-35 (S/N 42-13603) wasn't made until June 25, 1946."

http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=2583

 

[NZTyphoon]

Not true - although we know about Jack Northrop's obsession with flying wing designs, by the time the B-2 was on the drawing board he had been long gone and Northrop Aircraft was a way different company from when he ran it. A flying wing platform was chosen more as a matter than function rather than previous designs or Northrop's design legacy. Having worked on the B-2, I can tell you that many of the people who ran the B-2 program probably never heard of the XP-56 and knew little about the XB-35 and YB-49.

This was the aircraft that led the way for the B-2.

Northrop Tacit Blue - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



BTW - although the Westland-Hill Pterodactyl flew before some of Northrop's flying wings (he was building any flying flying wings before WW2) I doubt the Pterodactyl any any influence on Northrop's XB-35 and YB-49 which were actually designed and constructed during the war years.

Weell is that a fact? I always assumed that the B-2A had been inspired in some way by the XB-35 and YB-49. However, I can see how the desire to have the lowest possible RCS can lead to a flying wing design. I didn't think the abysmal Pterodactyl series would have influenced Northrop - I was thinking of other flying wing or near flying wing designs from the 30s and 40s.

(never got to see Airwolf in NZ so I didn't cotton on... 8) (Stringfellow Hawke are you kidding???!! )

 

[zoomar]

As much as it would be nice to believe that the B-2 represented the final culmination and vindication of Jack Northrop's fascination with flying wings, Flyboy is right...it just aint true.

Just like all talk of the Ho-229 as a predecessor "stealth" plane aint true no matter what the Hortens and their modern apologists want you to believe.

 

[riacrato]

Horten apologists?

 

[zoomar]

Horten apologists?

The word is one used in philosophical, archaeological, and biblical study and doess not mean what you think it does in plain english. In that context, an "apologist" for the Hortens is merely an "advocate" for the Hortens and their design views.

I should have said "advocates" but my tongue and academic training got in the way. Sorry.

I did not mean the Hortens or their fans need to apologize for anything if that's where you are going with this.