Northrop JB-1 Bat – Photos & Videos

Čaj Northrop JB-1 "Slepi miš" je bio krstareća raketa zemlja-zemlja Sjedinjenih Država koja je bila prototip letećeg krila sa mlaznim snagama. Program američkih vojnih vazduhoplovnih snaga MX-543 pokrenut je u septembru 1942. Korporacija Nortrop je angažovana krajem 1943, a izgrađeno je samo 10 aviona JB-1. Ljudska verzija šlepovana je za prvi let na "27. avgusta 1943", sa Rodžers Suvog jezera, a verzija jedrilice lansirana je sa raketnih sanki i srušila se u decembru 1944. Bespilotni JB-1 koji je napajao improvizovani General Electric B-1 turbojet sa rasponom krila od 28 stopa 4 inča (8,64 m) stigao je 7.

Izvor: Northrop JB-1 Bat on Wikipedia

The Northrop JB-1 Bat was a jet-powered flying wing cruise missile developed by Northrop Corporation during World War II. It was intended to be a surface-to-surface weapon that could deliver a 900 kg (2000 lb) bomb to a target up to 400 km (250 mi) away. The JB-1 Bat was inspired by the German V-1 flying bomb, which was discovered by the Allies in 1942. The JB-1 Bat used two General Electric B-1 turbojet engines, which were derived from a turbosupercharger design. The JB-1 Bat had a wingspan of 10.4 m (34 ft) and a length of 6.4 m (21 ft). It had a maximum speed of 640 km/h (400 mph) and a cruising speed of 480 km/h (300 mph).
The JB-1 Bat was tested as a manned glider and as an unmanned missile. The first flight of the glider version took place on August 27, 1944, with test pilot Harry Crosby at the controls. The first launch of the missile version occurred on December 7, 1944, but it failed due to an engine malfunction and an improper elevon setting. The JB-1 Bat suffered from many technical problems, such as engine failures, structural complexities, and overweight issues. Northrop tried to improve the design by using a Ford pulse jet engine instead of the GE B-1 turbojet engines, resulting in the JB-10 variant. However, the JB-10 also had poor performance and reliability. The JB-1 Bat program was canceled in 1946 after only 13 flights, none of which were successful.