Northrop N-1M
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The Northrop N-1M was an early flying wing aircraft, predecessor to the Northrop N-9M and Northrop YB-35.
This aircraft, the first true flying wing produced in the United States was developed from 1939 and 1940, and first flew on July 3, 1940 at Baker Dry Lake in California. Unstable and underpowered, but basically sound, the N-1M paved the way for Northrop's later flying wings. Jack Northrop started building flying wings after he got inspired by the Walter and Reimar Horten's (the Horten brothers) pre-war record-setting glider designs in Germany.
The plane was donated to the United States Army Air Forces in 1945 and was placed in the collection of the National Air Museum the following year. It is now on public display at the National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center.
[edit] Specifications (N-1M)
[edit] General characteristics
- Crew: one, pilot
- Length: 17 ft 11 in (5.46 m)
- Wingspan: 38 ft 8 in (11.80 m)
- Height: 4 ft 11 in (1.50 m)
- Wing area: 300 ft² (27.9 m²)
- Empty: lb ( kg)
- Loaded: 3,900 lb (1,769 kg)
- Maximum takeoff: lb ( kg)
- Powerplant: 2× Lycoming O-145, 65 hp (50 kW) each
[edit] Performance
- Maximum speed: 200 mph (322 km/h)
- Range: 300 miles (483 km)
- Service ceiling: 4,000 ft (1,219 m)
- Rate of climb: ft/min ( m/min)
- Wing loading: 13 lb/ft² (63 kg/m²)
- Power/mass: 0.03 hp/lb (0.06 kW/kg)
[edit] References
- Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Northrop N-1M.
[edit] Related content
Related development: Northrop N-9M - Northrop YB-35 - Northrop YB-49
Comparable aircraft:
Designation sequence:
