Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/17/84; site hplabsc.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!oliveb!hplabsc!dsmith From: dsmith@hplabsc.UUCP (David Smith) Newsgroups: net.aviation Subject: Re: \"Was It Something I Said\", et al. (Flying Wing) Message-ID: <2638@hplabsc.UUCP> Date: Wed, 10-Jul-85 15:03:14 EDT Article-I.D.: hplabsc.2638 Posted: Wed Jul 10 15:03:14 1985 Date-Received: Sat, 13-Jul-85 08:43:10 EDT References: <687@dataio.UUCP> <2637@hplabsc.UUCP> Organization: Hewlett Packard Labs, Palo Alto CA Lines: 21 Taken from "Bomber 47" by Walt Boyne (Executive Officer of the National Air and Space Museum), in the August 1981 Wings magazine: The Northrop YB-49 was a later competitor to the B-47, an outgrowth of the piston engine XB-35 flying wing. Top speed was close to 500 mph. Aircraft was not produced due to politics or stability problems, depending upon which argument you prefer. But although the "Flying Wing" exhibited great range, handled well, and carried a large bombload, it was nearly 100 mph slower than the B-47 and required a crew of eight. The B-47 carried a crew of three, and had six engines to the YB-49's eight. I don't know how the ranges and bombloads compared. But if the B-49 was meant to be a long-range, heavy bombload aircraft, it may have been boxed in by the B-52. By the way, the Northrop Stealth Bomber now in development is a flying wing. David Smith ucbvax!hplabs!dsmith