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Douglas B-66 Destroyer
Design and Development

At first, the Air Force thought the conversion would be an easy matter of removing the carrier-specific features, so no prototypes were ordered, just five pre-production RB-66A models (the reconnaissance mission was deemed higher priority). The list of modifications grew, and before long, the easy conversion became a substantially new aircraft. Many of the changes were due to the Air Force's requirement for low-level operations, while the Navy plane was a high-altitude bomber, including conventional ejection seats developed by Stanley Aviation.

The first RB-66A preproduction aircraft flew in 1954, while the first production RB-66B aircraft flew in early 1955.

Northrop X-21

The Northrop X-21A modified the WB-66D with an unusual wing to conduct Laminar Flow Control studies. Laminar-flow control was thought to potentially reduce drag by as much as 25%. Control would be by removal of a small amount of the boundary-layer air by suction through porous materials, multiple narrow surface slots, or small perforations.

The B-66 fuselage was modified with a large hump on the top of the fuselage, with additional modifications to the wings, engines, laminar flow exhausts, and tail cone. Slots were incorporated in the wing's surface to inject air into the boundary layer. However, rain, dirt, dust and other particulates clogged the slots.

Northrop began flight research in April of 1963 at Edwards Air Force Base, but with all of the problems encountered, and money going into the war, the X-21 would be the last experiment involving this concept.

Sources:
Wikipedia: B-66 Destroyer
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