Northrop X-4 Bantam

Northrop X-4 Bantam
País	Eua
Papel	Protótipo de aeronave sem cauda
Primeiro voo	15 December 1948
Construído	2

O Northrop X-4 Bantam was a prototype small twinjet aircraft manufactured by Northrop Corporation in 1948. It had no horizontal tail surfaces, depending instead on combined elevator and aileron control surfaces (called elevons) for control in pitch and roll attitudes, almost exactly in the manner of the similar-format, rocket-powered Messerschmitt Me 163 of Nazi Germany’s Luftwaffe. Some aerodynamicists had proposed that eliminating the horizontal tail would also do away with stability problems at fast speeds (called shock stall) resulting from the interaction of supersonic shock waves from the wings and the horizontal stabilizers. The idea had merit, but the flight control systems of that time prevented the X-4 from any success.

Fonte: Northrop X-4 Bantam na Wikipédia

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

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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 December 1948
tripulação	1 Pilot
Wing Sweep	35 degrees
comprimento	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.