WWII era Flying Wing and Pilot lost

The Goose

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I saw this UFO at the Camarillo Air Show and in this jaded day and age it’s kind of nice to be mesmerized by something. Like vintage race cars most of these old planes were deadly when new and way more dangerous now. Takes a lot of guts to strap yourself into one of these crates. Kind of puts into perspective us worrying about making it to the local cars in coffee without a breakdown in our old C’s.

I attached the note from the CAF site.

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The loss of the pilot makes the loss of the plane seem almost insignificant. This historic aircraft is gone , but it (as the pilot I'm sure did) went out as it wanted, soaring into the heavens. I always feel that cars, planes, cycles, whatever are better doing as intended and not rotting slowly in someone's garage or a museum. Ride 'em, drive 'em, fly 'em...don't hide 'em.
Godspeed to the pilot and prayers to the family...albeit late.
 
My great Uncle flew bombers in the Pacific Campaign during WWII and then flew for TWA until he retired in early 1960's.
 
Very sad for everyone involved.
 
Scary enough getting into a modern plane. Cant imagine getting into something made during WWII.
 
i crawled through a b17 flying fortress in a museum. Incredible to think this was flying and being shot at. I cant cmagine the noise, the smell, the coldness and the thought of having just a thin sheet of aluminium between me and the next 30cal or flak flying at me. That turret under the hull... I would have shat myself sitting in that in the air.
 
A personal tragedy for sure - I got nothing to add to the touching CAF tribute to the pilot and the plane. :(

Magnificent machine but this one apparently was a troubled design (as an ancestral "flying wing") over its entire history. Kinda took modern avionics (Northrop B-2 comes to mind) to make them reliable.

Northrop N-9M - Wikipedia
 
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