Northrop N-9MB - fotod ja video

2007 Northrop N-9M oli umbes ühe kolmandiku skaalal, 60 jalga ulatuv kõigi tiibadega lennuk, mida kasutati täissuuruses, 172 jalga tiibade siruulatusega Northrop XB-35 ja YB-35 lendava tiiva pikamaa-raske pommitaja arendamiseks. Esmakordselt 1942. aastal lennanud N-9M (M for Model) oli kolmas kõigi tiibadega Northropi lennukidisainide reas, mis algas 1929. aastal, kui Jack Northropil õnnestus varajastes katsetes oma ühe tõukuri propelleriga, kahe sabaga, kaksikbuumiga, kogu rõhutatud metallnahaga Northrop Flying Wing X-216H monoplaaniga ja kümmekond aastat hiljem kahe propiga N-1M aastatel 1939–1941. Northropi teedrajav all-wing lennuk viis Northrop-Grummani palju aastaid hiljem, et lõpuks välja töötada täiustatud B-2 Spirit stealth pommitaja, mis debüteeris õhujõudude inventaris 1989. aastal.

Allikas: Northrop N-9MB Vikipeedias

The Northrop N-9MB was a remarkable aircraft that pioneered the concept of flying wing design. It was a one-third scale model of the Northrop XB-35, a proposed long-range heavy bomber that never entered service. The N-9MB was used to test the aerodynamics, stability and handling of the all-wing configuration, as well as to train pilots for the future bomber. The N-9MB had a wingspan of 60 feet and was powered by two Menasco or Franklin engines, depending on the variant. It first flew in 1942 and made 45 flights in five months, before the first prototype crashed and killed the pilot. Three more N-9MBs were built and flown until 1945, when the XB-35 program was cancelled. The N-9MBs were then scrapped or abandoned, except for one that was restored and flown by the Planes of Fame Air Museum until 2019, when it also crashed and killed the pilot. The N-9MB was an important step in the development of flying wing technology, which would later lead to the Northrop B-2 Spirit stealth bomber.