# RS Models Northrop XP-79B



## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

Itty bitty 1/72 kit:
http://www.inpayne.com/models/planes/xp79b.html

In action, just for fun:


----------



## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

I've recently read that the whole "flying ram" thing was complete BS, started by a reporter who misunderstood the reason for the armored leading edge of the wing, which was to protect the fuel tanks. Just look at the dern thing - would anyone sane design a flying ram where the pilot lay prone with his head in a brittle plastic bubble at the extreme nose of the plane? And would anyone sane FLY it?


----------



## hal9001 (May 28, 2008)

If reporter BS, why did Northrop build one?

Carl-


----------



## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

What do you mean?
Northrop built the airplane to be a fighter. A reporter started the BS about it being a flying ram AFTER it was built.


----------



## scotpens (Sep 6, 2003)

By "flying ram," at first I thought you meant "ramjet."

You mean it was reported that the plane was intended to literally ram enemy aircraft? Now, that's just silly.


----------



## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

It sure is!


----------



## Owen E Oulton (Jan 6, 2012)

Sure it's a silly idea, but that didn't stop the Nazis from trying it out as a tactic in '45! They didn't go entirely kamikaze - they expected their pilots to bail out firts, but even so.


----------



## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

I know some Fw-190 units tried it, though I don't know how often. The Germans also designed some jet and rocket "rammjaegers" specifically FOR ramming, but none were ever built.

The Japanese, on the other hand, well, they just went for it whenever the mood struck.


----------



## Owen E Oulton (Jan 6, 2012)

I saw a documentary on the German ramming tactics. They were rare - one of the Nazis' less popular tactics. at lest one FW pilot did it three times - they would usually attempt to destroy the tail of B-17s, causing the American bomber to crash or at least crash-land. They used stock aircraft. The japanese, however, took it to its (il)logical extreme, not bailing out and even designing specialised manned aerial torpedoes, so I can see why some might believe that the US might do something like this as a ramming plane. Fortunately, the US never got anywhere near that desperate, what with their overwhelming superority in men and materiel. I could see something similar being proposed in the old pulp novels and Blackhawk comics, though... After all, it's no less feasible than Sky Captain's submarine-transformable P-40!


----------



## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

That P-40 was ridiculous! :lol:


----------

