These craft were UNSTABLE AND DIFFICULT TO FLY. It wasn't until the invention of computer GYROS that the technology was perfected and that's why the US has the B-2 Stealth Bomber TODAY!
There is a film somewhere showing Jack Northrup being rolled in his wheelchair to preview the B2 bomber. Mr. Northrup was a visionary who was years ahead of his time. At least he got to see the fruits of that vision before he passed on.
@TheSFCRetired It was a PBS film called "The wing will fly"I believe, I remember seeing it back in the early 80's. It was about the design and testing of the wing, and it's eventual destruction due to the work of a single congressman.Interesting film, haven't found it in PBS archives yet though.
Wish the goverment kept at least one of these awesome planes, so we could have restored it like some the B-24's that are flying now...this would have been a really great plane to restore..
It is a crying shame what happened to inglewood California. Now they call it, "inglehood" Most cities in Southern california were very pleasent cities back then.
@aztec: Yes, airplanes are an american invention. Ever heard about da Vinci (Italy), Cayley (England), Lilienthal (Germany)? The Wright Wright brothers were eager readers of what Lilienthal wrote...
Yes: the Wright brothers, the Bell X-1, B707, B747 were milestones.
But maybe you want to check what these people did for aviation: Prandtl (Germany), Breguet (France), Mrs.Paulus (Germany), who invented the Jet engine (Germany or England, or even Rumania?.....
Truman Secretary of the Air Force Stuart Symington not only shut down production of the follow-on all-jet B-49, but apparently sicced a gang of thugs with chainsaws on the aircraft at the Northrop plant. Not a single example was spared -- inescapably raising many questions. This, especially considering that Symington went on to chair rival B-36 manufacturer Convair. Ultimately, Jack Northrop's dream came true -- but what price did US taxpayers pay for the deferral of that dream?
@aztec963258741 this wasn't german, Jack Northrup was experimenting with flying wings when the Horton brothers were still in short pants. maybe it should be said that anyone who designs an aircraft is stealing American technology, After all the Airplane is an American invention. if we'd left it up to Europeans we'd still be floating around in hot air balloons.
Not too mention though that the first powered flight was not by the wright brothers but by a german named Karl Jatho, he flew 4 months before the wright brothers did.
The plane was equipped with a single-cylinder 10 horsepower (7.5 kW) Buchet engine driving a two-bladed pusher propeller and made hops of up to 200 ft (60 m), flying up to 10 ft (3 m) high. In comparison Orville Wright's first controlled flight four months later was of 36 m (120 ft) in 12 seconds
Before the army went with the B-36, they had already pruchased something like 19 flying wings. The test pilots for the armed forces that where trained by Max (northrop's test pilot), loved tis aircraft they recomended it with flying colors. Sometime int he 40's a meeting was held in San Moreno CA, by the secerity of defense, Convair CEO and Jack Northrop. The defense sec told Northrop the country only needed one company to produce aircraft, and Convair was it. The dense sec had shares in convair
Not so much that it was designed to be 'tailless' as it was designed more to be nearly invisible to radar, very low cross section of radar visibility.. The trick was to eliminate as much 'vertical surfaces' as possible, hence no rudders. However, they (the Northrop B2B and this antique predecessor do utilize vertical surfaces on their landing gear for greater stability in take off and landing) ol' Jack love this plane, and I loved the 'contra-rotating propellers' system. excellent vid airboyd!
@BuzzDyou - Modern stealth owes its success to more than just a lucky trick of the shape of the aircraft. Northrop began his designs of the flying wing in 1925-26, a few years before the first aircraft tracking radar sites went online, so we can hardly believe that their aim was to avoid something that didn't exist!
So much for the claims of "stealth" by the Hortens as well, easy for them to claim in the 1970's.
It was designed to reduce drag and increase lift, "stealth" was sci-fi at the time
The N9M didn't fly until 1942, the Hortens already started with flying wings in 1933, in 1937, they had a twin-engined flying wing in the form of the Ho-V.
These craft were UNSTABLE AND DIFFICULT TO FLY. It wasn't until the invention of computer GYROS that the technology was perfected and that's why the US has the B-2 Stealth Bomber TODAY!
lionsgate12345 1 month ago
There is a film somewhere showing Jack Northrup being rolled in his wheelchair to preview the B2 bomber. Mr. Northrup was a visionary who was years ahead of his time. At least he got to see the fruits of that vision before he passed on.
TheSFCRetired 2 months ago
@TheSFCRetired It was a PBS film called "The wing will fly"I believe, I remember seeing it back in the early 80's. It was about the design and testing of the wing, and it's eventual destruction due to the work of a single congressman.Interesting film, haven't found it in PBS archives yet though.
Oldbmwr100rs 2 months ago
Quite amazing aviation-technology, for 1946 ..
colindominy 3 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Man you have some GREAT videos!!!
Greenhornet270 3 months ago
It looks like a boomerang...so it is of course an invention of the Aborigines, you fools.
possumGFX 5 months ago
I wonder what mr snyder would have thought about the USA running up a 16 trillion debt...
Zeriouslly 7 months ago
@Zeriouslly We ran up debts before, but until recently we had the common sense to pay it down after the wars.
rickcain2320 6 months ago 2
@rickcain2320 dontcha know? we are forever at war now, war on drugs, war on crime, war on terrorism, no time for peace dontcha know?
DoBrigh 2 weeks ago
Wish the goverment kept at least one of these awesome planes, so we could have restored it like some the B-24's that are flying now...this would have been a really great plane to restore..
aandc2005 8 months ago
It is a crying shame what happened to inglewood California. Now they call it, "inglehood" Most cities in Southern california were very pleasent cities back then.
barmtrail 10 months ago 7
@aztec: Yes, airplanes are an american invention. Ever heard about da Vinci (Italy), Cayley (England), Lilienthal (Germany)? The Wright Wright brothers were eager readers of what Lilienthal wrote...
Yes: the Wright brothers, the Bell X-1, B707, B747 were milestones.
But maybe you want to check what these people did for aviation: Prandtl (Germany), Breguet (France), Mrs.Paulus (Germany), who invented the Jet engine (Germany or England, or even Rumania?.....
zztop737 10 months ago
It's too bad all the planes were destroyed when the contract was killed. Wish they had kept one for the Smithsonian.
nhoJzenithraM 10 months ago
Was Capt. Edwards (of Edwards AFB fame) killed testing this beatie, or the jet version?
killingamps 1 year ago
Truman Secretary of the Air Force Stuart Symington not only shut down production of the follow-on all-jet B-49, but apparently sicced a gang of thugs with chainsaws on the aircraft at the Northrop plant. Not a single example was spared -- inescapably raising many questions. This, especially considering that Symington went on to chair rival B-36 manufacturer Convair. Ultimately, Jack Northrop's dream came true -- but what price did US taxpayers pay for the deferral of that dream?
408knw 1 year ago
Gee. Looks familiar. Could this be the "new" stealth technology?
faffaflunkie 1 year ago
thanks for the upload!
mossmusic 1 year ago
americans worthless steal german technology and bost the best in the world buy they are all son a of bitches
aztec963258741 1 year ago
@aztec963258741 u jelly?
plexeh 1 year ago
@aztec963258741 this wasn't german, Jack Northrup was experimenting with flying wings when the Horton brothers were still in short pants. maybe it should be said that anyone who designs an aircraft is stealing American technology, After all the Airplane is an American invention. if we'd left it up to Europeans we'd still be floating around in hot air balloons.
kdraper2007 1 year ago
@kdraper2007
Not too mention though that the first powered flight was not by the wright brothers but by a german named Karl Jatho, he flew 4 months before the wright brothers did.
The plane was equipped with a single-cylinder 10 horsepower (7.5 kW) Buchet engine driving a two-bladed pusher propeller and made hops of up to 200 ft (60 m), flying up to 10 ft (3 m) high. In comparison Orville Wright's first controlled flight four months later was of 36 m (120 ft) in 12 seconds
Dreachon 11 months ago
Before the army went with the B-36, they had already pruchased something like 19 flying wings. The test pilots for the armed forces that where trained by Max (northrop's test pilot), loved tis aircraft they recomended it with flying colors. Sometime int he 40's a meeting was held in San Moreno CA, by the secerity of defense, Convair CEO and Jack Northrop. The defense sec told Northrop the country only needed one company to produce aircraft, and Convair was it. The dense sec had shares in convair
pilot1962 1 year ago
Fred Vinson
Winonasalibi 1 year ago
Not so much that it was designed to be 'tailless' as it was designed more to be nearly invisible to radar, very low cross section of radar visibility.. The trick was to eliminate as much 'vertical surfaces' as possible, hence no rudders. However, they (the Northrop B2B and this antique predecessor do utilize vertical surfaces on their landing gear for greater stability in take off and landing) ol' Jack love this plane, and I loved the 'contra-rotating propellers' system. excellent vid airboyd!
BuzzDyou 1 year ago
@BuzzDyou - Modern stealth owes its success to more than just a lucky trick of the shape of the aircraft. Northrop began his designs of the flying wing in 1925-26, a few years before the first aircraft tracking radar sites went online, so we can hardly believe that their aim was to avoid something that didn't exist!
So much for the claims of "stealth" by the Hortens as well, easy for them to claim in the 1970's.
It was designed to reduce drag and increase lift, "stealth" was sci-fi at the time
OPE08 1 year ago
Grandaddy of the B2
Efrasnel 2 years ago
@Efrasnel no that would be the german horton
watzman123321123321 1 year ago
@watzman123321123321 the German Horton was inspired by the Northrup N9M flying wing prototype built in the 1930's. learn some history.
kdraper2007 1 year ago
@kdraper2007
The N9M didn't fly until 1942, the Hortens already started with flying wings in 1933, in 1937, they had a twin-engined flying wing in the form of the Ho-V.
Hortens were never inspired by Northrop.
Dreachon 11 months ago
looks very interesting!!!
787dreamlinerBoeing 2 years ago