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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