| The final Northrop flying wing design,
although it could more accurately be
described as a tailless aircraft, was the
XS-4 Skylancer, a transonic research
vehicle with two 726kg thrust
Westinghouse turbojets. Later redesignated
X-4, the first of two aircraft flew at
Muroc on 15 December 1948, followed
by the second on 7 June 1949. With a
span of only 8.18m and
weight of 3175kg, the two
X-4s completed their research programme
in April 1954 and both survive as
museum exhibits.
MODEL | X-4 "Bantam" |
CREW | 1 |
ENGINE | 2 x Westinghouse turbojets, 726kg each |
WEIGHTS |
Take-off weight | 3175 kg | 7000 lb |
DIMENSIONS |
Wingspan | 8.18 m | 27 ft 10 in |
Length | 7.1 m | 23 ft 4 in |
Wing area | 19 m2 | 204.51 sq ft |
PERFORMANCE |
Max. speed | 1000 km/h | 621 mph |
| A three-view drawing (524 x 527) |
Stephan Wilkinson, e-mail, 03.10.2013 20:56 It certainly greatly profited from Me-163 research and development, and Northrop never denied that. But to say it was "simply built unaltered from German blueprints" reveals a lack of real familiarity with both the Messerschmitt and the Bantam. If anything, the X-4 is much more like the DH 108 Swallow. reply | guba, 21.06.2011 06:02 simply built unaltered from German blueprints captured in 1945. reply | a.casais, e-mail, 24.11.2010 20:58 it is a real family of the ME-163 "Comet" almost twins reply | Arn, e-mail, 27.01.2009 06:31 Like many early "X planes", this one looks as though it was simply built unaltered from German blueprints captured in 1945. reply |
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