XB-35

aircraft

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Last updated

July 15, 2026

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The XB-35 was an experimental aircraft designed by John Knudsen Northrop, a pioneer of the flying wing design. This tailless aircraft featured a blended wing body with no distinct fuselage or tail, a concept Northrop had been developing since the 1920s.12

The XB-35 was powered by pusher propellers and first flew in 1946. A jet-propelled version, the YB-49, followed in 1947. Despite its innovative design, the U.S. Air Force rejected the flying wing concept at the time, citing instability due to the lack of a vertical tail fin. However, Northrop's foundational work on the flying wing design later influenced the development of modern aircraft like the B-2 stealth bomber.12

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John Knudsen Northrop
First flown in 1946, the XB-35 was powered by pusher propellers; its jet-propelled version, the YB-49, first flew in 1947. The following year the U.S. Air Force rejected the flying wing, citing as one factor the instability caused by its lack of a vertical tail fin, but four decades later…
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First flown in 1946, the XB-35 was powered by pusher propellers; its jet-propelled version, the YB-49, first flew in 1947. The following year the U.S. Air Force rejected the flying wing, citing as one factor the instability caused by its lack of a vertical tail fin, but four decades later…
Read More