Northrop X-4 Bantam

Northrop X-4 Bantam
País	E.e.u.u
Papel	Prototipo de avión sin cola
Primer vuelo	15 de diciembre de 1948
Construido	2

el Northrop X-4 Bantam fue un prototipo de pequeño avión twinjet fabricado por Northrop Corporation en 1948. No tenía superficies de cola horizontales, dependiendo en cambio de las superficies combinadas de control de elevador y alerón (llamadas elevons) para el control en actitudes de cabeceo y balanceo, casi exactamente a la manera del Messerschmitt Me 163 de formato similar, propulsado por cohetes de la Luftwaffe de la Alemania nazi. Algunos aerodinámicos habían propuesto que la eliminación de la cola horizontal también eliminaría los problemas de estabilidad a velocidades rápidas (llamados bloqueos) resultantes de la interacción de las ondas de choque supersónicas de las alas y los estabilizadores horizontales. La idea tenía mérito, pero los sistemas de control de vuelo de esa época impidieron que el X-4 tuviera éxito.

Fuente: Northrop X-4 Bantam en Wikipedia

Northrop X-4 Bantam Walk Aroundd
Photographers	John Heck, Randy Ray
Localisation	National Museum of the USAF
Photos	50

Northrop X-4 Bantam 01

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Northrop X-4 Bantam 09

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General Characteristics and Role

The Northrop X-4 Bantam was an experimental jet aircraft developed for the U.S. Air Force and the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA, the precursor to NASA) in the late 1940s. Its primary role was to investigate the aerodynamic properties of a tailless aircraft design at transonic speeds (speeds approaching the speed of sound, or Mach 1). It utilized a semi-tailless configuration, meaning it lacked a horizontal tail stabilizer but retained small vertical fins. The tailless design was believed to reduce the shock waves and control issues experienced by conventional aircraft as they approached the sound barrier. The Bantam was built as a small, swept-wing jet to minimize costs and complexity during the high-risk transonic research phase.

Property	Typical Value (X-4)
Papel	Experimental Aircraft (Transonic Stability Research)
National Origin	Estados Unidos
Fabricante	Northrop Corporation
First Flight	15 de diciembre de 1948
Equipo	1 Pilot
Wing Sweep	35 degrees
Longitud	7.01 m (23 ft 0 in)
Envergadura	8.23 m (27 ft 0 in)
Altura	4.52 m (14 ft 10 in)	Gross Weight	3,524 kg (7,770 lb)

Powerplant and Flight Controls

Engine: 2 x Westinghouse J30 turbojet engines.
Thrust (Total): Approximately 1,600 lbf (7.1 kN).
Maximum Speed: 1,032 km/h (641 mph, or approx. Mach 0.85).
Control Surfaces: All control was handled by elevons (control surfaces that combine the functions of elevators and ailerons) on the trailing edge of the wing, and twin vertical rudders.
Stability Issue: Testing confirmed that while the X-4 was stable at low speeds, it experienced severe longitudinal stability issues when flying faster than Mach 0.88, leading to a tendency to pitch up and lose control.

Program Outcome and Legacy

Test Program: The X-4 completed 81 research flights at the NACA Muroc Flight Test Unit (later Edwards AFB).
Discovery: The program proved that a simple tailless design was unsuitable for sustained transonic flight due to the poor stability characteristics encountered.
Influence: This finding was crucial, convincing designers to use a conventional horizontal stabilizer (tailplane) or the all-moving stabilator on high-speed jets, which became the standard design for supersonic aircraft.
Preservation: Both prototypes built are preserved: one (46-676) is at the U.S. Air Force Museum in Ohio, and the other (46-677) is at the National Museum of Nuclear Science & History in New Mexico.

Vistas : 1974