Northrop YA-9 – Fotos e Vídeo

O Northrop YA-9 was a prototype attack aircraft developed for the United States Air Force A-X program. The YA-9 was passed over in preference for the Fairchild Republic YA-10 that entered production as the A-10 Thunderbolt II.

Fonte: Northrop YA-9 on Wikipedia

The Northrop YA-9 was a prototype attack aircraft developed by Northrop Corporation in the 1970s for the United States Air Force. It was designed to perform close air support missions in a low-threat environment, with a high survivability and low operating cost. The YA-9 competed with the Fairchild Republic YA-10 in the A-X program, which aimed to replace the Douglas A-1 Skyraider in the Vietnam War. The YA-9 had a twin-engine configuration, with two Lycoming YF102 turbofan engines mounted in nacelles above the high-mounted wings. The wings had a variable sweep angle and were fitted with large flaps and slats for enhanced maneuverability and short takeoff and landing performance. The fuselage had a slender profile and housed a 30 mm GAU-8 Avenger rotary cannon in the nose, as well as four hardpoints for external weapons. The cockpit was located near the nose and had a bubble canopy that provided excellent visibility for the pilot. The landing gear was tricycle type and retractable.
The YA-9 made its first flight on May 30, 1972, and completed its flight test program in February 1973. The aircraft demonstrated good handling qualities and performance, but was inferior to the YA-10 in terms of payload, range, and survivability. The Air Force selected the YA-10 as the winner of the A-X program in January 1973, and ordered it into production as the A-10 Thunderbolt II. The two YA-9 prototypes were transferred to NASA for further testing, but were eventually scrapped in 1981. The YA-9 remains as an example of Northrop’s innovative design approach and engineering capabilities.