Northrop Flying Wing—Rare Video!!!

The below link is to a video that I took of the Planes of Fame Museum’s (Chino, California) Northrop N9MB Flying Wing while performing a display at the Palm Springs Air Museum in 2006. This aircraft was painstakingly restored over a 13-year period.

As part of the November 1941 contract that Northrop was awarded for the proposed XB-35 Flying Wing included the construction of four, 1/3-scale aircraft, designated N9M, that were to act as flying test beds for various flight systems and also to familiarize Air Force pilots with flying-wing operations. The Planes of Fame Flying Wing in this video is one of those aircraft, and the only one remaining. Aviation greats such as Jack Northrop himself, Chuck Yeager and Bob Hoover actually flew this exact aircraft.

I understand that this aircraft has a lot of wicked idiosyncrasies that just about every pilot that ever flew her fell prey to, with interesting results! For example, pushing forward equally on both rudder pedals (as opposed to rocking the tops of the pedals forward for wheel-braking action which is the standard for American aircraft) would split the split trailing-edge rudders, resulting in so much drag that you would never get off the runway on takeoff. In the excitement of the first flight, I understand that just about every pilot made this error on their first flight. At Edwards Air Force Base in California where this aircraft was originally tested, with the tremendous, dry, Pleistocene-age lakebed that is the runway, this wasn’t so much of a problem, but rather an eye-awakening one nonetheless! Also, since this aircraft was so short-coupled with no tail at all, keeping the aircraft going straight ahead with no “crab” was quite a challenge.

Also, the modern-day B-2 bomber flying-wing test pilot, Bruce Hinds, was one of the pilots doing the post-restoration test flights on this vintage flying-wing aircraft. I understand that it was a real chore to get Bruce to land the aircraft; he was so exicited and charged up during the test flights that they were wondering if they would ever get him back on the ground.

Unfortunately, this aircraft experienced an in-flight engine fire just a short time after this video was taken in its left, 300 hp., 8-cylinder Franklin 0-540-7engine. Pilot Ron Hackworth skillfully landed the aircraft safely. The Flying Wing has since been pretty much restored, but the restoration of the rare Franklin 0-540-7 engine is another matter. There were only 13 of these engines ever built and it is believed that only three of them exist today. The needed parts may be newly manufactured as necessary, but the factory drawings are needed. They have not yet been located to my knowledge, as of Nov. 2007.

Given the resourcefulness of the Planes of Fame people, this aircraft will once again fly the skies of Southern California. But in the meantime, enjoy the rare video of this historic aircraft!

Best,
– Octane130 –
Flying Wing Video Link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60CgYmNb2a8