how stealthy was the B-2's ancestor the B-49 flying wing?

Question

The B-49 was a flying wing like the B-2 so I would assume that the shape would reduce the RCS but lacked the material or any intional calcualtions...http://members.aol.com/nukeinfo/b-49_inflight.jpg I know this might be unanswerable.

The B-49 was a flying wing like the B-2 so I would assume that the shape would reduce the RCS but lacked the material or any intentional calculations and had a lot of reflection points like the cockpit or engines I know this might be unanswerable. but how did it compair to other aircraft of the day?

Answer 1

The flying wing design was chosen for it's lift to drag ratio as Jack Northrop originally had envisioned, designed and engineered but could not overcome the inherent problems of controlability with 1950's technology. The stealth technology incorporated in the B-2 partially came from a study of a German fighter "flying wing" design during the waning years of WW II by the Horton brothers. The Horton HO- IX had internal engines, outer wings made of plywood and smooth surfaces painted with laquer...more in the interest of saving scarce metal and aerodynamics but it was found to have less radar reflection...something they perhaps stumbled upon. A design team from Northrop involved with stealth technology went to England to study a surviving model of the Horton 229 during developement of the B-2.
http://www.secondworldwarhistory.com/go229_gotha.asp
http://www.supercars.net/garages/Panzer/55v2.html
http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/aircraft-requests/horton-brothers-flying-wings-3618.html

Answer 2

It's definitely not a stealthy aircraft.

Though the flying wing body does lower the RCS, there are still many other radar reflectors present on the aircraft:

- The cockpit areas are not covered with radar-deflective coatings so those areas generate a lot of return. (planes like the F-117, B-2, F-22, etc. all have that radar-deflective coating on their cockpit glass).

- The engine inlets are not shielded, which means the jet engine intake fan blades are visible to radar. (This is why the B-1B, B-2, F-22 and F-35 have serpentine intake ducts to hide the engine fan blades).

- The B-49 does have some small vertical strakes. Those would also generate returns.

- The B-49's panel seams and joints are big radar reflectors too. On low-observable planes like the B-2, F-117A etc., the panel seams and joints have a lot of sawtooth edges to break up radar reflections.

Most likely the B-49 would have a radar return larger than a B-1B (which does have some RCS reduction technology applied).

Answer 3

When the B-49 flew, radar was not as well developed as it is now, and reducing radar visibility was not a big idea in those days.

Joe gave a great summary of the problems. Many of the radar reflecting components of the B-49 could have been faired in and coated, and its return could have been reduced considerably, but there is no way to know for sure exactly how much.

It is one of the cruelties of history that no B-35 or B-39 was preserved. Ugh... downer...(!)

Answer 4

It was very stealthy. This was largely accidental, but it was very stealthy for it's time. I read an account of an early test flight where they control tower could not locate the plane on radar and radioed the pilot to check on him. They ended up locating him visually long before he showed up on the radar.

Unfortunately it was also quite unstable and was not practical as an aircraft design until the computer control systems became much more powerful.