Early aviation engineers appreciated the potential for a “flying wing” design. A flying wing, which minimizes fuselage and usually eliminates the tail, reduces many of the aerodynamic compromises ...

Early aviation engineers appreciated the potential for a “flying wing” design. A flying wing, which minimizes fuselage and usually eliminates the tail, reduces many of the aerodynamic compromises ...

On October 21, 1947, the Northrop YB-49 took its first flight and started a chain reaction of inspiration, setbacks, and ...

Today, we tend to associate the flying wing design of aircraft with stealthy planes like the B-2 and the upcoming B-21 bomber. But the world’s first jet-powered flying wing emerged 70 years ago, and ...

On this day in aviation history, May 4, 1950, the Northrop YRB-49A prototype took to the skies for the first time. This aircraft was a proposed reconnaissance variant of the YB-49 heavy bomber, which ...

Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Jack Northrop never went to college, but his strict work ethic ...

General Robert L. Cardenas, U.S. Air Force (Ret.) As told to James P. Busha The YB-49 demonstrated that putting jet engines on an airframe designed for piston engines made the aircraft faster but not ...

mint; multicolored; flying YB-49 Flying Wing; American Advances in Aviation; verso of pane says, "YB-49 Flying Wing / Deemed futuristic in the late '40s, the / all-wing configuration of Northrop's / ...

The vast open skies and secluded airstrips of the Mojave Desert have been used as testing grounds for the world’s most advanced aircraft for decades, and on Oct. 21, 1947, Northrop’s iconic “Flying ...

Scientist, aviators and military strategists have worked on creating useful jet aircraft since the 1930s, but it was the Cold War that saw the greatest number of jet experiments. The experiments ...

Peter Merlin trudges through the desert, side-stepping sage brush and creosote until he reaches a spot barren of vegetation. He points out a faint crescent-shaped scar in the earth 100 feet long.