A few months ago Lockheed Martin's concept for a next-gen, stealthy-looking, transport jet, the Speed Agile was revealed on the Secret Projects forum. Well, Steve Trimble just posted this pic over at the DEW Line showing Northrop Grumman's concept for a new jet transport; shockingly, it looks like an big version of Northrop's B-2 stealth bomber. (Northrop began building large flying wing bombers in the 1940s, an effort that culminated with the B-2 40-years later, needless to say, the company likes flying wings.)
Northrop's design along with Lockheed's sexy Speed Agile and Boeing's X-48 blended wing body concept planes are all aimed at maturing designs for the next generation of strategic airlifters. As Trimble points out, it'll be about 20 years until the Air Force needs to replace its recently refurbished fleet of C-5A Galaxy cargo haulers. That gives the big three aircraft makers plenty of time to come up with viable replacements.
Now, if only we could see the design Northrop's working on for the next-generation bomber.
Via, The DEW Line.
