Northrop XB-35 / YB-35 Flying-Wing Bomber Family
The Northrop XB-35 was the piston-powered heavy flying-wing bomber that turned Jack Northrop’s tailless research into a full-scale military aircraft. Its large blended planform and contra-rotating propeller installation made it a demanding test programme, while the related YB-35 production prototypes and later jet-powered YB-49 established a direct line in flying-wing research that ultimately influenced later aircraft design.
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Identity
- Aliases
- XB-35YB-35Northrop Flying Wing BomberNorthrop NS-9
- Family Name
- Northrop XB-35
- Full Name
- Northrop XB-35 / YB-35 Flying-Wing Bomber Family
- Roles
- militaryexperimentalresearchtechnology_demonstrator
- Status
- retired
- Type
- aircraft
Details
- Aircraft Specs
- Configuration
- fixed_wing
- Operating Modes
- land
- Takeoff Landing Capabilities
- conventional
- Description
- The Northrop XB-35 was the piston-powered heavy flying-wing bomber that turned Jack Northrop’s tailless research into a full-scale military aircraft. Its large blended planform and contra-rotating propeller installation made it a demanding test programme, while the related YB-35 production prototypes and later jet-powered YB-49 established a direct line in flying-wing research that ultimately influenced later aircraft design.
- First Flight Year
- 1,946
- Manufacturer
- Propulsion Configurations
- Entries
- Count
- 4
- Propulsion System
- Role
- main
- Variant Notes
- Four Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major family radial engines with contra-rotating propellers; exact dash variant and placement are not asserted.
- Name
- Northrop XB-35 Pratt & Whitney R-4360 installation
- Notes
- Smithsonian and National Museum sources identify four Pratt & Whitney R-4360 radial engines driving the XB-35 contra-rotating propeller installation; exact dash variant and physical placement are not asserted.
Links
Assets & Meta
- Creation Time
- August 8, 2026 at 07:04:12 UTC
- Updated Time
- August 14, 2026 at 20:36:48 UTC