Northrop X-4 Bantam – Фото & Відео

У 201 Нортроп X-4 Бентам був прототипом невеликого двомісного літака, виробленого корпорацією Northrop в 1948 році. Він не мав горизонтальних хвостових поверхонь, в залежності від комбінованих поверхонь управління ліфтом і елероном (званих елевонами) для управління в тангажі і кренових установках, майже точно в манері аналогічного формату, ракетного Messerschmitt Me 163 Люфтваффе нацистської Німеччини. Деякі аеродинаміки припускали, що усунення горизонтального оперення також позбавить від проблем стійкості на швидких швидкостях (званих ударною зупинкою), що виникають в результаті взаємодії надзвукових ударних хвиль від крил і горизонтальних стабілізаторів. Ідея мала заслуги, але системи управління польотом того часу заважали Х-4 від будь-якого успіху.

Джерело: Нортроп X-4 Бентам у Вікіпедії

The Northrop X-4 Bantam was an experimental aircraft designed and built by the Northrop Corporation in the late 1940s. It was one of the first attempts to create a tailless aircraft that could fly at high speeds and altitudes. The X-4 had a semi-circular wing with a swept leading edge and a straight trailing edge. It was powered by two Westinghouse J30 turbojet engines mounted in the fuselage. The X-4 had a single-seat cockpit with a bubble canopy that provided good visibility.
The main purpose of the X-4 was to test the stability and control of a tailless aircraft at transonic speeds, that is, near the speed of sound. The X-4 was expected to achieve a maximum speed of Mach 0.95 and a maximum altitude of 40,000 feet. However, the X-4 encountered several problems during its flight tests, which began in 1948 and ended in 1953. The most serious problem was the loss of longitudinal stability at high speeds, which caused the nose to pitch up or down uncontrollably. This phenomenon, known as inertia coupling, was later found to affect many other early jet fighters. The X-4 also suffered from engine failures, structural failures, and landing gear malfunctions.
The X-4 program was cancelled in 1953 after 82 flights and two prototypes. The X-4 did not achieve its design goals and did not contribute much to the development of tailless aircraft. However, it did provide valuable data on transonic aerodynamics and inertia coupling, which helped to improve the design of later supersonic aircraft. The X-4 also inspired other experimental tailless aircraft, such as the Convair XF-92 and the Northrop XB-35. The two X-4 prototypes are preserved at the National Museum of the United States Air Force and the Air Force Flight Test Museum.