20 radical military aircraft that didn’t make the cut
Northrup XP-56
One of the Ascender’s doomed competitors was the “Black Bullet.” Instead of a conventional tail the XP-56 used dorsal fins to stabilize the aircraft. A pusher engine with counter-rotating propellers powered what one of Northrop’s first flying wings – a design that would ultimately lead to the B-2 stealth bomber decades later.
As soon as I finish my “slideshow” on Cold War-ERA TAC warplanes — which has become more of a full-length article with 1,500 words and counting — I’ll jump right on that, Colonel!
Thanks for your service,
Chris
Excellent article and fascinating pictures. Would like to see a similar one for pre-ww1, ww1 and post-ww1 aircraft. Thanks, Colonel Buzzsaw, USAF-ret. Retired SADO/13B/DO for 601 AOC.