Three of the N-9Ms survived flight testing, one is the preserved and flying N-9MB mentioned above in California, it seems unclear what happened to the other two, scrapping being very likely.
The first example crashed unfortunately killing its pilot Max Constant.
The earlier and similar (prettier?) N-1M also survives and has been restored and put on display at the Smithsonian NASM Silver Hill, Maryland site.
Also at this museum is the second XP-56 Black Bullet awaiting restoration, not strictly a flying-wing but none the less a striking tailess fighter.
The two X-4 ‘Bantams’ survive, again they are not strictly ‘wings, and could be considered swept-wing jet powered XP-56s.
It is unfortunate that none of the fifteen large Northrop wings that were completed survive.
The two piston engined contra-prop XB-35s (42-13603 & 38323) and the sole single prop YB-35 (162366) survived the flight test programme only to be flown from Lake Muroc to Northrop Field, Hawthorn to be scrapped by August the 23rd 1949.
The two eight jets powered YB-49s (42-102367 & 102368) were both destroyed in crashes. No2 was lost fatally 5 June 1948 as in earlier post, No1 crashed and burned during taxi trials on 15 March 1950, fortunately the crew escaped.
The six jets YRB-49A (42-102369) was by far the nearest big wing to a production type and conducted a successful flight-test programme, but it was clear by the early 1950s that the flying-wing wouldn’t be gaining any USAF contract, and it was flown to Ontario Airport in April 1951 and broken up in late 1953.
The remaining nine aircraft went through a complex redesignation process (for non-flyers!) all starting out as YB-35s, becoming XB-35s, while some then went on to become RB-35Bs and others EB-35Bs before all being scrapped at Hawthorn between mid 1949 and early 1950.
Thank you for this great information on the Northrop flying wings!
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