Since the days of the Wright brothers, aeronautical engineers have experimented with the design of the "Flying Wing": tailless aircraft without a defined fuselage. All components of the machine and the pilot himself are located in the plane of the wing.
In theory, this is the most aerodynamic and efficient design possible. In practice, however, it turns out that without stabilization and features characteristic of a conventional aircraft, it is very difficult to control such wings. We will tell you about the very first model of this type, which became the prototype for all stealth aircraft of the future.
XB-35 and YB-35
Commissioned by the Army Air Corps, German engineer Robert Northrop developed several variants of the bomber, choosing the "flying wing" type for its design. Models XB-35 and YB-35 are driven by four propellers mounted on the back of the wing. They caused moderate success among specialists and were soon removed from the assembly line.
YB-49
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They were replaced by the more advanced YB-49 bomber. He flew on a jet thrust and could overcome an altitude line of as much as 12 kilometers.
Purpose of creation
A huge advantage of the "flying wing" is the complete absence of a fuselage, which has a positive effect on reducing the total weight of the vehicle. This made it possible to maximize the payload: the military needed a bomber capable of ultra-fast attacking a target with enormous striking power. In addition, the first aircraft were already built with the expectation of reducing radar protection - before that, no one had ever imagined the possibility of building a real stealth aircraft.
YB-49 Specifications
Crew: 6 people
Engines: 8 x Allison J35-A-15, 1800 kg
Wingspan: 52.4 m
Length: 16.2 m
Wing area: 372 m2
Takeoff weight: 96,800 kg
Maximum speed: 930 km / h
Range: 8700 km
Catastrophes
Although the first tests were quite successful, the YB-49 later proved to be very unreliable. The military lost the first aircraft on June 5, 1948 - the pilot, Daniel Forbes, could not cope with control. All crew members were killed. The next disaster happened just a few months later: the outer wing sections of the YB-49 were simply torn off, and the pilot was pulled out of the car by the wind. It is noteworthy that test pilot Robert Cardenas warned about such a possibility, but the designer, Jack Northrop, declared the impossibility of such behavior of his brainchild.
President's attention
Despite all the shortcomings, they tried to put the YB-49 design on the conveyor. Attention was drawn to the aircraft by President Truman, who ordered a test pilot to fly from Muroc Air Force Base, California, to the secret landing strip of Andrews Air Force Base, Washington. YB-49 managed to fly across the country in just 4 hours 25 minutes, flying over Pennsylvania Avenue at the 12th floor. The President was delighted and the work on the project continued.
Last straw
But, nevertheless, design flaws outweighed all possible advantages. The last of the existing YB-49s crashed on March 15, 1950, during tests at the same Muroc airbase. This time the problem was related to the chassis, which could not withstand vibration. The plane crashed without even rising above ground level, and the subsequent fire completed the job.
New era: B-2 Spirit
Despite this, the concept was revised in 1980. The realization that a smooth flying wing profile would make the plane less visible to radar was key. This insight, along with advances in electronic stabilization, led to the iconic B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, long considered virtually invulnerable.