Clipped Wings: The Death of Jack Northrop's Flying Wing Bombers

Acquisition Review Quarterly, Fall, 2001 by Dr. Bud Baker

The last part of the telegram is significant: For 50 years, Mr. Northrop's followers have claimed that each and every Flying Wing was ordered destroyed by the government, as a sort of ultimate punishment, and this was repeated in the PBS broadcast. But it was never true: Although the B-35s were finally disassembled after Northrop and the Air Force could not agree on storage fees, the surviving YB-49, and the YRB-49 as well, were spared. The YB-49 was the one later destroyed in the taxi accident. The YRB-49, the six-jet reconnaissance plane, did not fly until May 4, 1950, more than a year after the cancellation. It later was flown to Ontario, California, where it languished in outside storage until 1953, when a crew from Norton Air Force Base cut it up for scrap. Only then was the last of Mr. Northrop's large Flying Wings gone (Maloney, 1980, p. 30).

THE AIR FORCE PERSPECTIVE

We have seen Mr. Northrop's allegations that a corrupt decision by the Secretary of the Air Force caused the death of his beloved Wings. Subsequent to his charges, the author interviewed all the surviving Air Force leaders involved in the decision. Their words deserve to be heard.

Stuart Symington went on to become a U.S. senator for 24 years. Contrary to the claims made in the PBS interview, he was never contacted before the show aired (S. Symington, personal communication, November 17, 1982; S. Symington, personal communication to Col. Walter Boyne, acting director of the National Air and Space Museum, November 4, 1982). In fact, he did not even know of Mr. Northrop's claims until this author contacted him for comment in late 1982. What Senator Symington did know, though, is that all the honors and awards he regularly received in his later years had suddenly ceased, at the same time the PBS interview aired on December 4, 1980.

Interviewed by the author in 1982, Senator Symington clearly recalled discussing the Flying Wing with Mr. Northrop, but was not sure where or when the conversation took place. But given the budgetary climate of the postwar years, the senator said that a merger might very well have been discussed:

The Air Force Chief [General Vandenberg, Chief of Staff] wanted the B-36 and it was up to me to get it. Now you know, of course, that there was a tremendous amount of overcapacity in the industry following World War II. It was clear that many of the smaller companies would not survive. Northrop came to see me, and said that unless he received his Flying Wing orders, his company would be in serious trouble. I knew at the time that the Air Force favored the B-36, built by Convair. I may very well have suggested that he merge his company with Convair, who we knew was going to get business. I may have suggested he go see Dutch Kindleberger at North American, or Bill Allen at Boeing. What I'm saying is this: I may very well have suggested Northrop talk with Convair about a merger. I'm quite certain, though, that I never would have discussed such a merger with Floyd Odlum [head of Convair's parent corporation]. (S. Symington, personal communication, November 17, 1982; 5. Symington, personal communication to Col. W. Boyne, acting director of the National Air and Space Museum, November 4, 1982)