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| Northrop X-4 Bantam | ||
|---|---|---|
| ' | ||
| Description | ||
| Role | Experimental semi-tailless | |
| Crew | 1 | |
| First Flight | December 16, 1948 | |
| Manufacturer | Northrop Corporation | |
| Dimensions | ||
| Length | 22 ft 3 in | 7.1 m |
| Wingspan | 26 ft 10 in | 8.2 m |
| Height | 14 ft 10 in | 4.5 m |
| Wing area | ft² | m² |
| Weights | ||
| Empty | 5,600 lb | 2,540 kg |
| Loaded | lb | kg |
| Maximum takeoff | 7,820 lb | 3,550 kg |
| Powerplant | ||
| Engines | 2x Westinghouse J30 turbojets | |
| Thrust (each) | 1,600 lb | 7.1 kN |
| Performance | ||
| Maximum speed | 640 mph | 1,035 km/h |
| Range | miles | km |
| Service ceiling | 44,000 ft | 13,400 m |
| Rate of climb | ft/min | m/min |
| Wing loading | lb/ft² | kg/m² |
| Thrust/Weight | ||
| Three view diagram | ||
| Northrop X-4 Bantam | ||
The Northrop X-4 Bantam was a small twin-jet airplane that had no horizontal tail surfaces, depending instead on
combined elevator and aileron control surfaces (called elevons) for control in pitch and roll
attitudes.
The hope of some aerodynamicists was that eliminating the horizontal tail would also do away with stability
problems at transonic speeds resulting from the interaction of supersonic
Two X-4s were built by the Northrop Corporation, but the first was found to be mechanically unsound and after 10 flights it was grounded and used to provide parts for the second.
While being tested from 1950 to 1953 at the NACA High-Speed Flight Research Station (now Edwards Air Force Base), the X-4's semi-tailless configuration exhibited inherent longitudinal stability problems (porpoising) as it approached the speed of sound. It was concluded that (with the control technology available at the time) tailless craft were not suited for transonic flight.
The surviving X-4 is on display at the USAF Museum.
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| Related Development | |
| Similar Aircraft | de Havilland Swallow |
| Designation Series |
X-1 -
X-2 -
X-3The Douglas X-3 Stiletto was an experimental jet aircraft with a slender fuselage and a long tapered nose, manufactured by the Douglas Aircraft Company. Its primary mission was to investigate the design features of an aircraft suitable for sustained super -
X-4 - X-5The Bell X-5 was the first aircraft capable of changing the sweep of its wings in flight. It was inspired by the untested war-time P. 1101 design of the German Messerschmitt company. However, whereas the German design could only be adjusted on the ground, - X-6The Convair X-6 was a proposed experimental aircraft that never left the drawing board. It was to have been built to investigate the practicality of powering a large aircraft (for example, a strategic bomber) with a nuclear reactor. To provide a testbed f - X-7The Lockheed X-7 (dubbed the "Flying Stove Pipe") was an unmanned test bed for ramjet engines and missile guidance technology. It was carried aloft by a B-29 or B-50 Superfortress carrier aircraft. The booster ignited after launch and propelled the vehicl |
| Related Lists | List of experimental aircraftThis is a list of experimental aircraft. Most aircraft are marked as experimental when they are first designed, so this list will focus on notable vehicles that never went into production and experimental variations of vehicles that were produced. The X-p |
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