# Northrop N9MB Flying Wing Destroyed in Crash **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 26, 2019, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/northrop-n9mb-flying-wing-destroyed-in-crash/833081 "2019-04-26T13:29:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2019, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/northrop-n9mb-flying-wing-destroyed-in-crash/833081/1 "2019-04-26T13:29:45Z")
[The only one of its kind, nothing remains of the final prototype of the XB-35.](https://www.flyingmag.com/northrop-n9mb-flying-wing-destroyed-in-crash) > [@](#): > > A piece of aviation history was lost yesterday as the last of four 1/3-scale prototypes built during the development of the Northrop XB-35 Flying Wing bomber, the N9MB, crashed in a prison yard in Norco, California. > > The Flying Wing has been maintained and operated for many years by the Planes of Fame Air Museum in Chino, which specializing in keeping historic airplanes in flying condition. In a statement, the organization said “the flight was being conducted in preparation for the upcoming Planes of Fame Airshow where it was scheduled to fly.” A cause for the accident has not yet been determined… ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2019, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/northrop-n9mb-flying-wing-destroyed-in-crash/833081/2 "2019-04-26T17:27:17Z")
I thought flying wings weren’t possible until computer technology has developed to enable rapid adjustments to overcome their inherent instability? ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2019, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/northrop-n9mb-flying-wing-destroyed-in-crash/833081/3 "2019-04-26T17:59:35Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > I thought flying wings weren’t possible until computer technology has developed to enable rapid adjustments to overcome their inherent instability? They are definitely possible, though admittedly they do have some rather undesirable flying characteristics (pitch and yaw issues, for example). Wikipedia has a long list of flying wing aircraft, many of which were built long before the availability of computerized flight controls: > **[List of flying wings](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_flying_wings)** > > A flying wing is a type of tailless aircraft which has no distinct fuselage. The crew, engines and equipment are housed inside a thick wing, typically showing small nacelles, blisters and other housings. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2019, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/northrop-n9mb-flying-wing-destroyed-in-crash/833081/4 "2019-04-26T18:19:59Z")
☹ That is sad news. At least I got to see it in person at the museum several years ago. Incidentally, there are still [a few chunks of the last YB49](https://photos.app.goo.gl/FNptZmHEdYcrE7DV7) on display at the Castle Air Museum in Atwater CA. ---
**Author:** ![MichaelEmouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/michaelemouse/32/101_2.png) [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2019, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/northrop-n9mb-flying-wing-destroyed-in-crash/833081/5 "2019-04-26T18:22:11Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > I thought flying wings weren’t possible until computer technology has developed to enable rapid adjustments to overcome their inherent instability? Well, I suppose that’s how we all came to be in this thread. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2019, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/northrop-n9mb-flying-wing-destroyed-in-crash/833081/6 "2019-04-26T18:26:16Z")
Am I correct that this XB-35 prototype was actually built entirely of wood? Was that normal for airplane prototypes at that time? ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2019, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/northrop-n9mb-flying-wing-destroyed-in-crash/833081/7 "2019-04-26T18:31:43Z")
Another flying wing design, the Nazi Ho 229 is being restored at the Air & Space Museum annex. The process is viewable to the public. ---
**Author:** ![Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b487fb/32.png) [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2019, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/northrop-n9mb-flying-wing-destroyed-in-crash/833081/8 "2019-04-26T18:33:56Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > I thought flying wings weren’t possible until computer technology has developed to enable rapid adjustments to overcome their inherent instability? [This one](https://cdn-live.warthunder.com/uploads/b4/651d3c836304c6f8444002d9a6c43b7d0ee607_mq/122045.jpg) dates from the Second World War ([Horten Ho 229](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horten_Ho_229)). (edit: ninja’d) ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2019, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/northrop-n9mb-flying-wing-destroyed-in-crash/833081/9 "2019-04-26T21:32:00Z")
> [@markn\_1](#): > > Am I correct that this XB-35 prototype was actually built entirely of wood? Was that normal for airplane prototypes at that time? Not entirely. > [@](#): > > The N-9M framework was partially constructed of wood to reduce its overall weight. The wings’ outer surfaces were also skinned with a strong, specially laminated plywood. The central section (roughly equivalent to the fuselage) was made of welded tubular steel. From here: > **[Northrop N-9M](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northrop_N-9M)** > > The Northrop N-9M was an approximately one-third scale, 60-foot (18 m) span all-wing aircraft used for the development of the full size, 172-foot (52 m) wingspan Northrop XB-35 and YB-35 flying wing long-range, heavy bomber. First flown in 1942, the N-9M (M for Model) was the third in a lineage of all-wing Northrop aircraft designs that began in 1929 when Jack Northrop succeeded in early experiments with his single pusher propeller, twin-tailed, twin-boom, all stressed metal skin Northrop X-216H ... It was a 1/3rd scale version to test the aerodynamics and such and to familiarize the test pilots with how it flew, so for that purpose the wood construction makes sense. It wasn’t anything close to a full scale prototype. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2019, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/northrop-n9mb-flying-wing-destroyed-in-crash/833081/10 "2019-04-26T21:35:20Z")
The hard part must have been finding the 1/3 scale pilots. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2019, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/northrop-n9mb-flying-wing-destroyed-in-crash/833081/11 "2019-04-26T21:40:33Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > The hard part must have been finding the 1/3 scale pilots. Just use children. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2019, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/northrop-n9mb-flying-wing-destroyed-in-crash/833081/12 "2019-04-27T01:58:51Z")
If I was in a prison yard in Norco, Ca, I would lay awake _dreaming_ of being killed by a Flying Wing. ☹