Northrop XP-79

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XP-79 "Flying Ram"
Type Interceptor
Manufacturer Northrop
Designed by Jack Northrop
Maiden flight 12 September 1945
Retired 12 September 1945
Status Prototype
Primary user United States Army Air Force
Number built 1

The Northrop XP-79 "Flying Ram" was an ambitious American design for a flying wing fighter aircraft; it had several notable design features. Among these, the pilot would operate the aircraft from a prone position—permitting the pilot to withstand much greater g-forces—and welded magnesium monocoque structure instead of riveted aluminum.

Contents

[edit] Design and development

In 1942, John K. Northrop conceived the XP-79 as a high-speed rocket powered flying wing fighter aircraft.

In January 1943, a contract for three prototypes designation XP-79 was issued by the USAAF.

To test the radical design, glider prototypes were built. One designated MX-324 was towed into the air on 5 July, 1944 by a P-38 making it the first rocket-powered aircraft built by America to fly.[1]

Pilot in prone position.
Pilot in prone position.

Originally it was planned to use a 2,000 lbf (9 kN) thrust XCALR-2000A-1 "rotojet" rocket motor supplied by Aerojet that used monoethyl aniline and a red fuming nitric acid; because of the corrosive and toxic nature of the liquids, the XP-79 was built using a welded magnesium alloy monocoque structure (to protect the pilot if the plane was damaged in combat) with a 1/8 inch (3 mm) skin thickness at the trailing edge and a 3/4 inch (19 mm) thickness at the leading edge. However, the rocket motor using canted rockets to drive the turbopumps was unsatisfactory and the aircraft was fitted with two Westinghouse 19-B (J30) turbojets instead. This led to changing the name to XP-79B. After the failure of the rocket motor, the first two prototypes were canceled.

The pilot controlled the XP-79 through a tiller bar and rudders mounted below; intakes mounted at the wingtips supplied air for the unusual bellows-boosted ailerons.[2]

[edit] Testing

The XP-79B (after delays because of bursting tires and brake problems on taxiing trials on the Muroc dry lake) was lost on its first flight 12 September, 1945. While performing a slow roll 15 minutes into the flight control was lost for unknown reasons. The nose dropped and the roll continued with the aircraft impacting in a vertical spin. Test pilot Harry Crosby attempted to bail out but was struck by the aircraft and fell to his death. Shortly thereafter, the project was canceled.

[edit] Specifications (XP-79B Flying Ram)

3-view drawing.

Data from[citation needed]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 1
  • Length: 14 ft 0 in (4.27 m)
  • Wingspan: 28 ft 0 in (8.54 m)
  • Height: 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)
  • Wing area: 278 ft² (25.8 m²)
  • Empty weight: 5,840 lb (2,650 kg)
  • Loaded weight: 8,669 lb (3,932 kg)
  • Powerplant: 2× Westinghouse 19B turbojet, 1,150 lbf (5.1kN) each

Performance

Armament

  • Guns: 4 × .50-cal (12.7 mm) machine guns (never fitted)

[edit] References

Notes
  1. ^ Winchester 2005, p. 150.
  2. ^ Winchester 2005, p. 151.
Bibliography
  • Winchester, Jim. The World's Worst Aircraft: From Pioneering Failures to Multimillion Dollar Disasters. London: Amber Books Ltd., 2005. ISBN 1-904687-34-2.
  • Pape, Garry and Campbell, John. Northrop Flying Wings. Atglen, PA, Schiffer Publications, 1995, ISBN 0-88740-689-0.

[edit] External links

[edit] See also

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see also: F-24 (redesignation of A-24 in 1948)
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Attack: YA-13 · XA-16 · A-17 · BT · SBT · YA-9 -

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