Northrop N-9M
The Northrop N- 9M was a reduced to one-third precursor variant of the then planned Nurflügelbombers Northrop B- 35th
History
On October 30, 1941, the development contract for the B- 35 bomber at Northrop fared. For the initial tests a reduced to a third variant, which N- 9M was developed. With her performance and flight characteristics of the planned B -35 should be explored. There were 4 prototypes provided N- 9M -1, -2, and -A -B.
N- 9M was to a large extent of wood ( for example, the wing ), and only the hull had a steel frame. Was powered by two 275 hp machine Menasco C65 - 1 engines with two-blade propellers. The machine was later given two 290- horsepower engines and the N- 9M- B even two 400 hp Franklin engines.
The first flight took place on 27 December 1942. Was followed in the next 5 months or 45 flights. However, the Menasco engines proved unreliable. On 19 May 1943, the aircraft crashed about 20 km to the west from the Muroc Army Air Force Base, died while the pilot Max Constant.
Museum aircraft
After termination of the B -35 program, all test models were scrapped except for the N- 9M -B. In 1982, this machine was restored by volunteers from Chino ( California). The Planes of Fame Museum thus had an airworthy plane. The aircraft flew for example, on the Chino Airshow 2004.