From Jack Northrop’s visionary XB-35 and YB-49 flying wings to the sleek, high-speed designs of the early jet age like the Convair XB-46 and the Martin XB-48, this documentary dives into the engineering gambles of the early Cold War. We analyze the technical hurdles, from vibration issues in contra-rotating propellers to the rapid arrival of superior jet technology, that left these ambitious prototypes on the cutting room floor of aviation history. Witness the evolution of the bomber mission through the lens of billion dollar cancellations and stealth breakthroughs. We take a technical look at the North American XB-70 Valkyrie, a Mach 3 titan outpaced by the rise of surface to air missiles, and the secretive development of stealth demonstrators like Have Blue and Tacit Blue. From the doomed McDonnell Douglas A-12 Avenger II carrier-based project to the competing designs of the Advanced T

Source: Never – Built US Bombers We Nearly Got