Northrop XP-79
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.
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]
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]
Testing
The XP-79 project (after delays because of bursting tires and brake problems on taxiing trials on the Muroc dry lake) The XP-79B 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. Shortly thereafter, the project was canceled.
Specifications (XP-79B Flying Ram)
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
Performance
- Thrust/weight: 0.27
Armament
- 4 × .50-cal (12.7 mm) machine guns (never fitted)
References
- Notes
- 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.
External links
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