FeaturesThe XB-35 was an experimental long-range heavy bomber produced for the US Air Force (USAF) by Northrop during WWII, with the aim being to create an aircraft capable of bombing Germany after taking off from the USA. It was a radical design in that it was a 52.2m-wide flying wing that eliminated the need for a tail and fuselage. The bomb payload was carried inside the single thick wing, and such a design had the potential to dispense with structural weight and drag. Crewed by nine personnel, the aircraft was to have a 10,000-mile range whilst carrying a 10,000lb load. Design work began in earnest in 1942, and two XB-35 craft were built to pre-production stage. The flying-wing design could not use a traditional rudder, so flaps on the trailing wingtip edges performed this function. Powered by two radial engines, the XB-35’s maiden flight occurred in June 1946. By this time the war was over and the USSR was the new enemy. The USAF subsequently cancelled the program and the two XB-35s were scrapped in 1949. However, previous design work led on to the YB-49 jet bomber. Dragon’s Warbird range has launched a 1/200 scale die-cast model of this fascinating craft. The YB-49 has already been released, so this model completes the flying-wing series. The pair of propeller engines at the rear of the flying wing is reproduced in sophisticated detail, plus they are true to scale. Since the original XB-35 was made of aluminium alloy, Dragon’s innovative “metallic skin” technique is used to realistically recreate this material. The result is a fine representation of this futuristic-looking metal-skinned flying wing.
