Northrop N-9MB

Northrop N-9MB
Land	Usa
Role	Vliegende vleugel Prototype
Eerste vlucht	van 27 december 1942
Gebouwd	4

De Noordrop N-9M was een ongeveer een derde schaal, 60-ft spanwijdte all-wing vliegtuigen gebruikt voor de ontwikkeling van de volledige grootte, 172-ft spanwijdte Northrop XB-35 en YB-35 vliegende vleugel lange afstand, zware bommenwerper. Voor het eerst gevlogen in 1942, de N-9M (M for Model) was de derde in een afstamming van all-wing Northrop vliegtuigontwerpen die begon in 1929 toen Jack Northrop erin slaagde om vroege experimenten te doen met zijn single pusher propeller, twin-tailed, twin-boom, all stressed metal skin Northrop Flying Wing X-216H monoplane, en een decennium later, de dual-prop N-1M van 1939-1941. Northrop's baanbrekende all-wing vliegtuigen zouden Northrop-Grumman vele jaren later ertoe brengen om uiteindelijk de geavanceerde B-2 Spirit stealth bommenwerper te ontwikkelen, die in 1989 debuteerde in de inventaris van de luchtmacht.

Bron: Northrop N-9MB op Wikipedia

Northrop N-9MB flying wing Walk Around
Fotograaf	Cees Hendriks
Lokalisatie	Onbewust
Foto 's	19

Northrop N-9MB 01

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Zie ook:

Northrop N9MB Flying Wing Walk Around
Fotografen	John Heck, Vladimir Yakubov
Lokalisatie	Onbewust
Foto 's	36

Northrop N9MB Flying Wing Walk Around
Fotograaf	Vladimir Yakubov
Lokalisatie	Pacific Coast Droommachines
Foto 's	47

A Scale Model for a Giant Ambition

De Noordrop N-9M was a family of approximately 1/3-scale flying wing aircraft developed to provide flight test data for the massive XB-35 En YB-49 bombers. The N-9MB was the fourth and final aircraft in the series, featuring more powerful engines and refined aerodynamics. By eliminating the fuselage and tail surfaces, Jack Northrop aimed to create an aircraft with the absolute minimum of parasitic drag, though the design presented extreme challenges in stability and control for the era.

Attribute	Technical Specification (N-9MB)
Role	Experimental Proof-of-Concept Aircraft
Bemanning	1 (Pilot)
First Flight (N-9M Series)	December 27, 1942
Krachtbron	2 × Franklin 0-540-7 eight-cylinder engines
Horsepower	300 hp (224 kW) per engine
Spanwijdte	60 feet (18.3 m)
Maximum Speed	258 mph (415 km/h)
Constructie	Wood (Wings) and Welded Steel Tubing (Center section)

Engineering the Pure Wing

The “Elevon” Control System: Without a tail, the N-9MB used elevons—surfaces that combined the functions of elevators (pitch) and ailerons (roll). These were located on the trailing edge of the wing.
Split Flap Rudders: For yaw control (steering left/right), the aircraft utilized “clamshell” or split flaps at the wingtips. Opening one side created drag that pulled the wing in that direction, acting as a rudder without the need for a vertical fin.
Pusher Configuration: To keep the airflow over the wing as “clean” as possible, the engines were mounted internally with the propellers at the rear, pushing the aircraft forward.
Leading-Edge Slots: To combat the inherent stability issues of a flying wing at low speeds, the N-9MB featured fixed slots on the leading edges of the wingtips to prevent tip-stalling.

The Legacy of a Visionary

Data for the Bombers: The N-9M program successfully proved that a large flying wing could be flown, though it revealed that the design was highly sensitive to the center of gravity and prone to “tumbling” if pushed beyond its limits.
The Yellow Paint: The N-9MB was famously painted in a high-visibility yellow and blue scheme, making it easier for ground observers to track its orientation during complex test maneuvers.
The B-2 Spirit Connection: Decades later, when the B-2 Stealth Bomber was designed, engineers used the flight data and concepts pioneered by the N-9M. When Jack Northrop was shown a model of the B-2 shortly before his death, he reportedly wrote on a pad: “Now I know why God kept me alive for 25 years.”
The Final Loss: For many years, the N-9MB was the only flying example of a Northrop flying wing in the world, maintained by the Planes of Fame Air Museum. Tragically, it was lost in a crash in 2019, leaving no airworthy examples of this historic series remaining.