| daepp |
08-11-2015 10:55 AM |
Quote:
Originally Posted by bugstrider
(Post 8741524)
There is something similar hanging on the wall at the Chino planes of fame museum. According to the docent, the two brothers that built it with one brother who took it for a test flight. Upon landing, he immediately got out and walked away and swore he would never fly again because it scared him so bad.
Have no idea if it's true or not, but it sure makes for a good story.
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/08...4c3b5634e4.jpg
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And they have the 1/3 scale version of Jack Northrop's XB35 Flying Wing - the N9-M - if you've never seen it fly, get over to Chino the first weekend in May:
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iWFNohd5i-A" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
I believe it is made of plywood!
Northrop had wanted to build a flying wing since childhood. When the Defense Dept. requested a bid for a new bomber, able to fly 10,000 miles without refueling and deliver 10,000 pounds of payload, Northrop designed the XB35 and was on track to meet the requirement when politics intervened and someone else got the contract. All the remaining flying wings were destroyed except this one.
When the B2 was designed, Northrop was near death. IIRC it literally took an act of Congress to get him a temporary top secret clearance so he could see the B2 and know that his dream had finally come to fruition.
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