Originally designed before America's entry into the Second World War, the YB-49 flying wing was intended to be America's first intercontinental bomber. US Air ForceThe flying wingThe YB-49 was the final iteration of a flying wing bomber concept created by legendary aircraft designer Jack Northrop, founder of the Northrop Corporation. A larger test aircraft, the N-1M, was tested in July of 1940, proving the potential of the flying wing design. The problems with aerial instability could now be solved by computers utilizing fly-by-wire technology and differential thrust, and so a flying wing design was submitted. In order to maintain a powerful bomber force and to keep up with technological innovation, the Air Force launched the Long Range Strike Bomber program in 2011.

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Persons: —, Northrop Grumman, Jack Northrop, Northrop, Dunne, elevons —, William Lewis, Defense Lloyd Austin Organizations: Service, US Air, US Air Force, Northrop Corporation, United States Army Air Forces, US Army Air Forces, Britain, USAAF, Air Force, Flag, Nellis, Nellis Air Force Base, Raider, Technology Bomber, Northrop, ATB, Defense Locations: Nazi, Europe, British, Jan, Yugoslavia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya