Warbird Information Exchange

A cosmic jet that was just a little ahead of its time.

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Don't touch my junk!!

Wow, great shot Jack. I have never seen any pictures of the B-49 with the pylon engines.

Anyone have more info on the extra motors? I only knew of the ones in the fuselage.

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This is actually one of the RB-49s. Extra range tanks were fitted in place of the two engines that were mounted externally. This is the version of the aircraft that actually received a production contract.

The YB-49s were scrapped on the Northrop ramp, the RB-49 was at another location and escaped the original scrapping order. The USAF found out they missed one a year later. The scrapping crew was reassembled and the last of the Flying Wings was reduced to pieces small enough to be hauled off in dump trucks. The ultimate destination was never revealed.

The only surviving example of the program is the N9M at Planes of Fame.

Sasnak, the N1 was Northrop's first true successful wing aircraft. It first flew in 1940. It was funded inhouse as a Jack Northrop passion.

The success of the N1 led AF official to look at the efficiency of an all flying wing planform for a long range bomber that would be able to bomb Europe from the NA continent. This was the XB-35 which in it's final form was supposed to be turboprop powered. Problems with the worlds first turboprop engine led to the conversion of the XB-35s to pure jet. It was renumbered to YB-49.

The N9M is a 1/3rd scale prototype/proof of concept of the XB-35/YB-49 program which was USAF funded. Four were built.