https://tw.news.yahoo.com/全球僅存-二戰75歲骨董飛翼機n-9m墜毀加州監獄-081800677.html
全球僅存！二戰75歲骨董飛翼機N-9M墜毀加州監獄
EBC東森新聞
10.7k 人追蹤
東森新聞
2019年4月24日 下午4:18
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▲根據昨（23）日美國航空報導，當地時間周一下午，一架隱形飛機在美國本土加州里弗賽德地區的監獄上空墜毀。（圖／翻攝自每日頭條）
根據昨（23）日美國航空報導，當地時間周一下午，一架隱形飛機在美國本土加州里弗賽德地區的監獄上空墜毀，飛行員當場死亡，而飛行員身分以及事故原因都仍是未知數，並將持續調查。這架飛機是諾斯洛普（Northrop）飛翼實驗機N-9M，全世界唯一還能飛行的N-9M，它對於美國而言有著特殊的意義，如果沒有它，美軍後來的B-2轟炸機等飛翼式隱形飛機可能都不會存在，甚至有專家表示，它的墜毀是非常巨大的損失。
檢視相片
▲這架墜毀的N9M屬於加州奇諾（Chino）航空博物館，而其距離墜毀的地點，諾科（Norco）州立監獄僅僅只有約10英里。（圖／翻攝自每日頭條）
根據aerotechnews網站報導，這架墜毀的N9M屬於加州奇諾（Chino）航空博物館，而其距離墜毀的地點，諾科（Norco）州立監獄僅僅只有約10英里。報導指出，這起空難造成了一名飛行員的罹難，所幸墜毀當時監獄的地面上並沒有人。
根據介紹，N-9M在美國航空史上有著非常高的地位，因為它是美軍的第一代飛翼式飛機，存在目的是為了用來驗美國航空設計師克諾斯洛普（Jack Northrop）提出的飛行翼新型態飛機概念，希望能將機身與機翼融合成為一個三角形，這樣不僅可以降低空氣阻力，還能提升機內的空間。
檢視相片
▲這架飛機還進行了技術驗證和累積，是XB-35和YB-35等多款飛翼式飛機的原型機。（圖／翻攝自每日頭條）
而這架飛機還進行了技術驗證和累積，是XB-35和YB-35等多款飛翼式飛機的原型機，同時對B-2等後來的飛翼式轟炸機有著很大的啟發。飛機的機翼長度為18米，採用螺旋槳發動機，諾斯羅普公司一共製造了4架N-9M驗證機，旗幟中前三架都因為各種原因損壞，只有一架還能繼續飛行，並在1982年被奇諾航空博物館所收購，而此次的空難便將剩下的唯一一架N-9M飛機也墜毀。
根據報導，諾斯洛普（Northrop）在N-9M的基礎上一直沒有放棄機翼式飛行平台的研發，在經過多年的技術改進之後，終於克服了這類飛機的飛控問題，成功研製了B-2「幽靈」隱身轟炸機，目前也還能獲得美軍B-21隱形轟炸機的訂單，這些飛機都是採用了飛翼式構造，不僅上述幾架飛機，X-47B等無人機也都應用了飛翼式的設計思路，這些飛機能夠問世，N-9M都功不可沒。
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The world is only there! World War II 75-year-old Dong Fei wing aircraft N-9M crashed in California prison
[EBC Dongsen News]
EBC Dongsen News
10.7k person tracking
Dongsen News
April 24, 2019, 4:18 PM
View photos
▲ According to American Airlines reported yesterday (23), a stealth aircraft crashed over a prison in the Riverside area of California, USA, on Monday afternoon local time. (Figure / flip from the daily headlines)
According to American Airlines reported yesterday (23), a stealth aircraft crashed over the prison in the Riverside area of California, USA, on Monday afternoon. The pilot died on the spot, and the identity of the pilot and the cause of the accident were still unknown. Continue investigation. This aircraft is the Northrop flying wing test machine N-9M, the only N-9M in the world that can fly. It has special significance for the United States. Without it, the US military later B-2 Flying wing stealth aircraft such as bombers may not exist, and even experts say that its crash is a huge loss.
View photos
▲ The crashed N9M belongs to the Chino Aviation Museum in California, and it is only about 10 miles from Norco State Prison. (Figure / flip from the daily headlines)
According to the aerotechnews website, the crashed N9M belongs to the Chino Aviation Museum in California, and it is only about 10 miles from the location of the crash, Norco State Prison. The report pointed out that the air crash caused a pilot's martyrdom, but fortunately there was no one on the ground at the time of the crash.
According to the introduction, the N-9M has a very high status in the history of American aviation, because it is the first generation of the US military's flying wing aircraft, and the purpose is to test the American aviation designer Jack Northrop. The new concept of the flying wing aircraft hopes to fuse the fuselage and the wing into a triangle, which not only reduces the air resistance, but also enhances the space inside the aircraft.
View photos
▲ This aircraft has also been technically verified and accumulated. It is a prototype of many flying wing aircraft such as XB-35 and YB-35. (Figure / flip from the daily headlines)
The aircraft has also undergone technical verification and accumulation. It is a prototype of a number of flying-wing aircraft such as the XB-35 and YB-35, and has a great inspiration for the later flying-wing bombers such as the B-2. The aircraft has a wing length of 18 meters and uses a propeller engine. Northrop has produced a total of four N-9M verification machines. The first three of the flags are damaged for various reasons, and only one can continue to fly. It was acquired by the Chino Aviation Museum in 1982, and the only N-9M aircraft that crashed in the crash was also crashed.
According to reports, Northrop has not abandoned the development of the wing-type flight platform based on the N-9M. After years of technical improvement, it finally overcome the flight control problem of such aircraft and successfully developed it. The B-2 "Ghost" stealth bomber is also available for the US B-21 stealth bomber. These aircraft are equipped with a flying wing structure. Not only the above-mentioned aircraft, but also X-47B and other drones are also used. Flying wing design ideas, these aircraft can come out, N-9M has contributed.
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https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zo...g-wing-crashes-into-prison-yard-in-california
Rare and Historic Northrop Flying Wing Crashes Into Prison Yard In California (Updated)
This was the only remaining example of the N-9M, of which Northrop only ever built four.
By Joseph TrevithickApril 22, 2019
Tim Felce via Wikimedia
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Details are still coming in, but a privately owned Northrop N-9M crashed in Norco, California at around 12:10 PM local time. The condition of the pilot is unknown, but the aircraft itself sustained "substantial damage," according to statements from the Federal Aviation Administration.
The cause or causes of the crash are unknown, but the bright yellow flying wing came down inside the yard at the California Rehabilitation Center, a state prison facility. Though the condition of the pilot is unknown, the FAA and local authorities have said that there were no injuries on the ground as a result of the crash.
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"The circumstances are unknown," the Riverside County Sheriff's Office wrote in a Tweet. "The NTSB [National Transportation Safety Board] will be conducting the investigation into the plane crash."
Video footage from news helicopters flying over the crash site an hour after the mishap shows little of the aircraft remaining intact. Unless there are larger parts we are not seeing, the plane appears to be a total loss.
The crash is a major loss for aviation history. First flown in 1942, Northrop's N-9M, with the "M" standing for "model," was a test aircraft to support the development of the XB-35 and YB-35 prototype flying wing bombers.
The N-9Ms had a 60-foot wing that was effectively a third-scale replica of the full-size bombers. This smaller surrogate design was made of both wood and metal and had a pair of engines driving pusher propellers, compared to the all-metal XB/YB-35 and its four pusher props. The N-9M was also an evolution of Jack Northrop's earlier N-1M, which also supported the company's flying wing work.
Northrop built four N-9Ms, designating them N-9M-1, -2, A, and B. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, the U.S. Air Force canceled the XB/YB-35 program, as well as the development of the improved YB-49. Many of the airframes associated with these projects, including the first three N-9Ms, ended up being scrapped.
Northrop, of course, never abandoned its interest in flying wing designs. Fly-by-wire technology eventually helped mitigate stability issues that made them hard to control. What had by then become Northrop Grumman finally realized the dream of the flying wing bomber when the B-2 Spirit entered U.S. Air Force service in 1997. The company is now in the process of developing its replacement, the B-21 Raider.
Northrop Grumman has also used flying wings and other tailless planforms in the development of advanced drones, including prototype unmanned combat air vehicles, such as the X-47B. Other companies have also experimented with flying wings and similar designs, including on unmanned aircraft such as the Lockheed Martin RQ-170.
But evidence of this earlier work is more limited. Today, the lone N-1M is now in the collection at the National Air and Space Museum. The Planes of Fame Air Museum in Chino, California bought the surviving N-9MB in 1982.
A lengthy restoration process returned it to flying condition in 1993 and it had made regular appearances at the annual Chino airshow and other events since then. In 2006, it suffered a mid-air engine fire, but was able to land safely. Planes of Fame again returned it to flying condition in 2010 and the plane was reportedly flying today in preparation for its next airshow appearance.
Hopefully, the pilot is safe, but it's sad to think that the historic flying wings that gave birth to the stealth bombers we know today will never be seen slicing through the air again.
Update: 7:45pm EST—
Sadly, the Riverside County Sheriff's office has now described the incident as "fatal" in a Tweet. The social media post says that there is no confirmation on the number of occupants, but the N-9MB only has room for the pilot.
Update: 5:10am PST—
Here is the full statement from Planes Of Fame:
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https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zo...g-wing-crashes-into-prison-yard-in-california
https://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/wwii-era-flying-wing-plane-has-fatally-crashed-on-state-1834228459
WWII-Era Flying Wing Plane Has Fatally Crashed On State Prison Grounds
Andrew P. Collins
Monday 9:00pm
Filed to: crashes
69.9K
931
A screenshot of the Planes Of Fame’s N9M operating at an airshow in 2016Screenshot: horsemoney (YouTube)
A pilot operating the world’s only 1944 Northrop N9M Flying Wing plane is reportedly deceased after the aircraft crashed on the grounds of a prison in Norco, Calif. Details on the incident are still vague; it seems no bystanders were injured but the plane appears to have essentially disintegrated on impact.
Screenshot: ABC 7
A witness described the plane as “dipping” left and right before the fatal crash at the grounds of the California Rehabilitation Center just after noon Monday, in an interview to ABC 7. The news outlet reports that the plane was maintained by the Planes Of Fame air museum in Chino, nearby, which is hosting an air show early in May.
As of this writing, the NTSB and FAA are both investigating but neither the pilot’s name nor the cause of the crash have been released.
A photo of the N9MB taken in 2006Photo: Sylvain Mielot (Creative Commons)
As for the unusual-looking N9M plane, Planes Of Fame has on its website that it was “the fourth and final in a series of [one-third] scale test models for the Northrop XB-35 flying Wing bombers.” It’s also described as “the grandfather of today’s B-2 Stealth Bomber.”
The air museum got this N9M in particular in the 1950s, started restoring it in 1981 and started flight testing in 1996. It was a relatively compact 17 feet, 10 inches long with a 60-foot wingspan.
Planes Of Fame’s N9M was the last operational aircraft of its type, though obviously the loss of the pilot is infinitely more tragic.
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Reviews Editor, Jalopnik | 1975 International Scout, 1984 Nissan 300ZX, 1991 Suzuki GSXR, 1998 Mitsubishi Montero, 2005 Acura TL, 2008 Yamaha WRR
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Foxtrot Alpha
Could This Oddball Stealth Jet (Partly) Replace the A-10 Warthog?
Kyle Mizokami
Monday 4:20pm
1412
Foxtrot AlphaTech and news from the world of modern defense.
The Scaled Composites Model 401 is a small, single engine jet that looks just like what the military wants: new a light attack aircraft capable of supporting troops on the ground. It’s also a total weirdo.
Built by Scaled Composites, a general purveyor of strange-looking airplanes with funny names like the Proteus and the BiPod, and introduced to the public in 2017, the 401 is in the news again after a sighting last week in Mojave, California.
For years, the U.S. Air Force has planned to eventually replace the illustrious A-10 Warthog ground attack jet with the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. The Air Force is convinced that the A-10, which was expected to have a relatively short lifespan in the Cold War battles it was designed for, will fare even worse against modern air defense guns and missiles fielded by Russia and China.
The Air Force Initiative To Replace The A-10 Warthog Is Nothing But Vaporware
The fight to kill the A-10 Warthog rages on in Washington after the U.S. Air Force tried to…
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While the F-35 will target the ground forces of high-end enemies, the service also wants a low-end attack aircraft for bombing enemies without sophisticated air defenses, such as ISIS and the Taliban. Used against such enemies, the F-35 and A-10 would be like using Thor’s hammer to kill ants.
A low-end “observer, attack” or OA aircraft that uses a single turboprop or turbofan engine would be cheaper than the F-35 to buy, cheaper to fly, and be able to operate from dusty, austere airbases in the middle of nowhere.
Embrauer Super Tucano aircraft dropping a laser-guided bomb as part of the light attack aircraft competition, 2017.Photo: Ethan D. Wagner (U.S. Air Force)
In 2017 the service ran what amounted to a fly-off competition between a number of planes, including the Beechcraft AT-6 Wolverine, Sierra Nevada A-29 Super Tucano, and Textron Scorpion, but by January the service said the OA-X program was on indefinite hold as the service wanted more options.
Perhaps not coincidentally, the Scaled Composites 401 was unveiled in October 2017. Scaled Composites claimed the aircraft were built on behalf of a “proprietary customer” (cough the Feds cough) as an “aircraft for research flight services to industry partners and the United States government.”
Here’s a video of the 401’s first flight:
Scaled Composites built two 401s. The planes have a stealthy look to them, with flat features and a wing similar to that of the General Atomic Predator-C drone. Both Model 401 planes measure 38 feet long with a 38-foot wingspan. The aircraft, which are powered by a Pratt & Whitney JTD15D-5D engine, can reach Mach 0.6 and fly up to three hours at a time. Its maximum takeoff weight is 8,000 pounds.
The company further reports on its website that the aircraft has a maximum ceiling of 30,000 feet. It weighs 4,000 pounds empty with a maximum takeoff weight of 8,000 pounds. That’s more than two VW Beetles and easily enough to include a pilot, fuel, sensor and targeting system, four 250 pound laser guided bombs, and a gun pod for good measure.
The 401’s powerplant is a Pratt & Whitney JTD15D-5D engine generating 3,045 pounds of thrust. The JTD15D-5D has been around for a while and was used to power the first Cessna Citation. Today it is still mostly a civilian engine, with the exception of the Alenia Aermacchi M-311 light attack jet. According to Defense News, which covered the 401’s rollout at the time, the aircraft has a top speed of Mach 0.6 and can fly for up to three hours.
The 401 could easily become a light attack aircraft. Scaled Composites could fit the aircraft with an electro-optical sensor system allowing the pilot to identify targets on the ground, especially at night or under cover of clouds or smoke. A Link 16 datalink would allow the pilot to collaborate with ground forces and other air units to share data, such as target coordinates.
Thanks to America’s endless wars, there is no shortage of lightweight, precision-guided weaponry to hang off an armed 401, including APKWS II laser guided 2.75-inch rockets, externally-mounted cannon pods, Stormbreaker all-weather bombs, and air-to-ground missiles such as the short-range Griffin and larger Hellfire.
The ARES prototype aircraft.Image: Scaled Composites
One useful clue from last week’s sighting: ground crew servicing the aircraft wore t-shirts emblazoned with the phrase “Son of ARES.” ARES, or Agile Responsive Effective Support, was a Scaled Composites prototype built built in the late 1980s and flowing in 1990 response to a U.S. Army request for a “low-cost, battlefield attack aircraft.” Sound familiar? It’s almost like the military has been asking for the same stuff for decades, and it never happens.
There’s a lot we don’t know about the plane. We don’t know how much it costs, or how much it will cost per hour to fly—important drivers for what is supposed to be an aircraft orders of magnitude cheaper than the F-35. What we do know is that, as of this week, it’s still flying, doing who knows what.
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全球僅存！二戰75歲骨董飛翼機N-9M墜毀加州監獄
EBC東森新聞
10.7k 人追蹤
東森新聞
2019年4月24日 下午4:18
檢視相片
▲根據昨（23）日美國航空報導，當地時間周一下午，一架隱形飛機在美國本土加州里弗賽德地區的監獄上空墜毀。（圖／翻攝自每日頭條）
根據昨（23）日美國航空報導，當地時間周一下午，一架隱形飛機在美國本土加州里弗賽德地區的監獄上空墜毀，飛行員當場死亡，而飛行員身分以及事故原因都仍是未知數，並將持續調查。這架飛機是諾斯洛普（Northrop）飛翼實驗機N-9M，全世界唯一還能飛行的N-9M，它對於美國而言有著特殊的意義，如果沒有它，美軍後來的B-2轟炸機等飛翼式隱形飛機可能都不會存在，甚至有專家表示，它的墜毀是非常巨大的損失。
檢視相片
▲這架墜毀的N9M屬於加州奇諾（Chino）航空博物館，而其距離墜毀的地點，諾科（Norco）州立監獄僅僅只有約10英里。（圖／翻攝自每日頭條）
根據aerotechnews網站報導，這架墜毀的N9M屬於加州奇諾（Chino）航空博物館，而其距離墜毀的地點，諾科（Norco）州立監獄僅僅只有約10英里。報導指出，這起空難造成了一名飛行員的罹難，所幸墜毀當時監獄的地面上並沒有人。
根據介紹，N-9M在美國航空史上有著非常高的地位，因為它是美軍的第一代飛翼式飛機，存在目的是為了用來驗美國航空設計師克諾斯洛普（Jack Northrop）提出的飛行翼新型態飛機概念，希望能將機身與機翼融合成為一個三角形，這樣不僅可以降低空氣阻力，還能提升機內的空間。
檢視相片
▲這架飛機還進行了技術驗證和累積，是XB-35和YB-35等多款飛翼式飛機的原型機。（圖／翻攝自每日頭條）
而這架飛機還進行了技術驗證和累積，是XB-35和YB-35等多款飛翼式飛機的原型機，同時對B-2等後來的飛翼式轟炸機有著很大的啟發。飛機的機翼長度為18米，採用螺旋槳發動機，諾斯羅普公司一共製造了4架N-9M驗證機，旗幟中前三架都因為各種原因損壞，只有一架還能繼續飛行，並在1982年被奇諾航空博物館所收購，而此次的空難便將剩下的唯一一架N-9M飛機也墜毀。
根據報導，諾斯洛普（Northrop）在N-9M的基礎上一直沒有放棄機翼式飛行平台的研發，在經過多年的技術改進之後，終於克服了這類飛機的飛控問題，成功研製了B-2「幽靈」隱身轟炸機，目前也還能獲得美軍B-21隱形轟炸機的訂單，這些飛機都是採用了飛翼式構造，不僅上述幾架飛機，X-47B等無人機也都應用了飛翼式的設計思路，這些飛機能夠問世，N-9M都功不可沒。
更多東森新聞報導
斯里蘭卡連環爆！身價1859億丹麥首富…痛失3子女
法觀光重創30億！Gucci捐款讓聖母院大火重生？
波音再受挫！空巴獲陸1兆元訂單購入300架飛機
The world is only there! World War II 75-year-old Dong Fei wing aircraft N-9M crashed in California prison
[EBC Dongsen News]
EBC Dongsen News
10.7k person tracking
Dongsen News
April 24, 2019, 4:18 PM
View photos
▲ According to American Airlines reported yesterday (23), a stealth aircraft crashed over a prison in the Riverside area of California, USA, on Monday afternoon local time. (Figure / flip from the daily headlines)
According to American Airlines reported yesterday (23), a stealth aircraft crashed over the prison in the Riverside area of California, USA, on Monday afternoon. The pilot died on the spot, and the identity of the pilot and the cause of the accident were still unknown. Continue investigation. This aircraft is the Northrop flying wing test machine N-9M, the only N-9M in the world that can fly. It has special significance for the United States. Without it, the US military later B-2 Flying wing stealth aircraft such as bombers may not exist, and even experts say that its crash is a huge loss.
View photos
▲ The crashed N9M belongs to the Chino Aviation Museum in California, and it is only about 10 miles from Norco State Prison. (Figure / flip from the daily headlines)
According to the aerotechnews website, the crashed N9M belongs to the Chino Aviation Museum in California, and it is only about 10 miles from the location of the crash, Norco State Prison. The report pointed out that the air crash caused a pilot's martyrdom, but fortunately there was no one on the ground at the time of the crash.
According to the introduction, the N-9M has a very high status in the history of American aviation, because it is the first generation of the US military's flying wing aircraft, and the purpose is to test the American aviation designer Jack Northrop. The new concept of the flying wing aircraft hopes to fuse the fuselage and the wing into a triangle, which not only reduces the air resistance, but also enhances the space inside the aircraft.
View photos
▲ This aircraft has also been technically verified and accumulated. It is a prototype of many flying wing aircraft such as XB-35 and YB-35. (Figure / flip from the daily headlines)
The aircraft has also undergone technical verification and accumulation. It is a prototype of a number of flying-wing aircraft such as the XB-35 and YB-35, and has a great inspiration for the later flying-wing bombers such as the B-2. The aircraft has a wing length of 18 meters and uses a propeller engine. Northrop has produced a total of four N-9M verification machines. The first three of the flags are damaged for various reasons, and only one can continue to fly. It was acquired by the Chino Aviation Museum in 1982, and the only N-9M aircraft that crashed in the crash was also crashed.
According to reports, Northrop has not abandoned the development of the wing-type flight platform based on the N-9M. After years of technical improvement, it finally overcome the flight control problem of such aircraft and successfully developed it. The B-2 "Ghost" stealth bomber is also available for the US B-21 stealth bomber. These aircraft are equipped with a flying wing structure. Not only the above-mentioned aircraft, but also X-47B and other drones are also used. Flying wing design ideas, these aircraft can come out, N-9M has contributed.
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https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zo...g-wing-crashes-into-prison-yard-in-california
Rare and Historic Northrop Flying Wing Crashes Into Prison Yard In California (Updated)
This was the only remaining example of the N-9M, of which Northrop only ever built four.
By Joseph TrevithickApril 22, 2019
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Details are still coming in, but a privately owned Northrop N-9M crashed in Norco, California at around 12:10 PM local time. The condition of the pilot is unknown, but the aircraft itself sustained "substantial damage," according to statements from the Federal Aviation Administration.
The cause or causes of the crash are unknown, but the bright yellow flying wing came down inside the yard at the California Rehabilitation Center, a state prison facility. Though the condition of the pilot is unknown, the FAA and local authorities have said that there were no injuries on the ground as a result of the crash.
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"The circumstances are unknown," the Riverside County Sheriff's Office wrote in a Tweet. "The NTSB [National Transportation Safety Board] will be conducting the investigation into the plane crash."
Video footage from news helicopters flying over the crash site an hour after the mishap shows little of the aircraft remaining intact. Unless there are larger parts we are not seeing, the plane appears to be a total loss.
The crash is a major loss for aviation history. First flown in 1942, Northrop's N-9M, with the "M" standing for "model," was a test aircraft to support the development of the XB-35 and YB-35 prototype flying wing bombers.
The N-9Ms had a 60-foot wing that was effectively a third-scale replica of the full-size bombers. This smaller surrogate design was made of both wood and metal and had a pair of engines driving pusher propellers, compared to the all-metal XB/YB-35 and its four pusher props. The N-9M was also an evolution of Jack Northrop's earlier N-1M, which also supported the company's flying wing work.
Northrop built four N-9Ms, designating them N-9M-1, -2, A, and B. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, the U.S. Air Force canceled the XB/YB-35 program, as well as the development of the improved YB-49. Many of the airframes associated with these projects, including the first three N-9Ms, ended up being scrapped.
Northrop, of course, never abandoned its interest in flying wing designs. Fly-by-wire technology eventually helped mitigate stability issues that made them hard to control. What had by then become Northrop Grumman finally realized the dream of the flying wing bomber when the B-2 Spirit entered U.S. Air Force service in 1997. The company is now in the process of developing its replacement, the B-21 Raider.
Northrop Grumman has also used flying wings and other tailless planforms in the development of advanced drones, including prototype unmanned combat air vehicles, such as the X-47B. Other companies have also experimented with flying wings and similar designs, including on unmanned aircraft such as the Lockheed Martin RQ-170.
But evidence of this earlier work is more limited. Today, the lone N-1M is now in the collection at the National Air and Space Museum. The Planes of Fame Air Museum in Chino, California bought the surviving N-9MB in 1982.
A lengthy restoration process returned it to flying condition in 1993 and it had made regular appearances at the annual Chino airshow and other events since then. In 2006, it suffered a mid-air engine fire, but was able to land safely. Planes of Fame again returned it to flying condition in 2010 and the plane was reportedly flying today in preparation for its next airshow appearance.
Hopefully, the pilot is safe, but it's sad to think that the historic flying wings that gave birth to the stealth bombers we know today will never be seen slicing through the air again.
Update: 7:45pm EST—
Sadly, the Riverside County Sheriff's office has now described the incident as "fatal" in a Tweet. The social media post says that there is no confirmation on the number of occupants, but the N-9MB only has room for the pilot.
Update: 5:10am PST—
Here is the full statement from Planes Of Fame:
April 22, 2019 Chino, CA
Planes of Fame Air Museum: Today at approximately 12:00 PM one of our Museum pilots and our N9MB Northrop Flying Wing were lost in an accident in Norco, CA. The flight was being conducted in preparation for the upcoming Planes of Fame Airshow where it was scheduled to fly. At this time details are not known as to the cause of the accident. The NTSB will investigate the accident to determine the cause. To our knowledge no one on the ground was injured nor was there damage to any buildings.
The identification of the pilot, the sole occupant, is being withheld pending notification of family.
The Planes of Fame N9MB, one of four one-third size flying wings built for flight testing in 1944, had been restored over a thirteen (13) year period beginning in 1981. The one of a kind aircraft flew its first post restoration flight on September 11, 1994 and had safely flown several hundred hours since then.
We are deeply saddened by the loss of the pilot and our deepest sympathies go out to his family.
Contact the author: [email protected]Planes of Fame Air Museum: Today at approximately 12:00 PM one of our Museum pilots and our N9MB Northrop Flying Wing were lost in an accident in Norco, CA. The flight was being conducted in preparation for the upcoming Planes of Fame Airshow where it was scheduled to fly. At this time details are not known as to the cause of the accident. The NTSB will investigate the accident to determine the cause. To our knowledge no one on the ground was injured nor was there damage to any buildings.
The identification of the pilot, the sole occupant, is being withheld pending notification of family.
The Planes of Fame N9MB, one of four one-third size flying wings built for flight testing in 1944, had been restored over a thirteen (13) year period beginning in 1981. The one of a kind aircraft flew its first post restoration flight on September 11, 1994 and had safely flown several hundred hours since then.
We are deeply saddened by the loss of the pilot and our deepest sympathies go out to his family.
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https://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/wwii-era-flying-wing-plane-has-fatally-crashed-on-state-1834228459
WWII-Era Flying Wing Plane Has Fatally Crashed On State Prison Grounds
Andrew P. Collins
Monday 9:00pm
Filed to: crashes
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A screenshot of the Planes Of Fame’s N9M operating at an airshow in 2016Screenshot: horsemoney (YouTube)
A pilot operating the world’s only 1944 Northrop N9M Flying Wing plane is reportedly deceased after the aircraft crashed on the grounds of a prison in Norco, Calif. Details on the incident are still vague; it seems no bystanders were injured but the plane appears to have essentially disintegrated on impact.
Screenshot: ABC 7
A witness described the plane as “dipping” left and right before the fatal crash at the grounds of the California Rehabilitation Center just after noon Monday, in an interview to ABC 7. The news outlet reports that the plane was maintained by the Planes Of Fame air museum in Chino, nearby, which is hosting an air show early in May.
As of this writing, the NTSB and FAA are both investigating but neither the pilot’s name nor the cause of the crash have been released.
A photo of the N9MB taken in 2006Photo: Sylvain Mielot (Creative Commons)
As for the unusual-looking N9M plane, Planes Of Fame has on its website that it was “the fourth and final in a series of [one-third] scale test models for the Northrop XB-35 flying Wing bombers.” It’s also described as “the grandfather of today’s B-2 Stealth Bomber.”
The air museum got this N9M in particular in the 1950s, started restoring it in 1981 and started flight testing in 1996. It was a relatively compact 17 feet, 10 inches long with a 60-foot wingspan.
Planes Of Fame’s N9M was the last operational aircraft of its type, though obviously the loss of the pilot is infinitely more tragic.
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About the author
Andrew P. Collins
Reviews Editor, Jalopnik | 1975 International Scout, 1984 Nissan 300ZX, 1991 Suzuki GSXR, 1998 Mitsubishi Montero, 2005 Acura TL, 2008 Yamaha WRR
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BlackArmsAkimboAndrew P. Collins
4/22/19 11:07pm
I’m guessing he was a decent man so it’s a shame he ended up dying in jail.
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Hououin KyoumaBlackArmsAkimbo
4/22/19 11:14pm
I hate myself for laughing at this.
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DopamineFiendBlackArmsAkimbo
4/22/19 11:23pm
Clever.
Way the fuck too soon, but clever.
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DoctorsTARDISDopamineFiend
4/22/19 11:54pm
It’s never too soon. Humor is a valid coping mechanism with tragedy.
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TheWalrusDoctorsTARDIS
4/23/19 1:02am
But whose coping here? An anonymous commenter on the internet who didn’t know the pilot or their family? I don’t disagree that humor can be an effective method of blunting emotional trauma. But there has to be some emotional trauma being blunted - otherwise it can be perceived as callous and unnecessary.
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KayGBAndrew P. Collins
4/22/19 9:09pm
That is a damned shame, that was an absolutely fascinating aircraft to watch in flight.
My sincere sympathy to the pilot’s family.
Some of these rare aircraft could benefit from recovery parachute systems, the technology is well developed.
Due to the structure of the aircraft I doubt there’ll be many clues as to what brought it down, unless the pilot gave a report of difficulties. Unfortunately when the going gets tough, most guys tend to shut up and fly or at least try to fly.
Horten has flown a flying wing for general aviation, THAT will get crashed left and right.
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DopamineFiendKayGB
4/22/19 11:22pm
Clues? I looked at that crash site and there is scant evidence that the plane ever existed.
Condolences tho.
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EffIrsayKayGB
4/23/19 7:35am
The old flying wing designs, without the aid of modern computer flight control software, could be very dangerous in all but straight and level flying conditions. It was especially difficult for pilots trained in conventional aircraft (with dedicated aileron, elevator, and rudder control surfaces) to hop into these planes and fly them safely.
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KayGBEffIrsay
4/23/19 10:07am
Again, nonsense. They ranged from uncontrollable to perfectly controllable and even quite pleasant.
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EnginerrrrrrrrrKayGB
4/23/19 10:29am
Everything you’ve been saying seems to stem from a few anecdotes instead of actual evidence...
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BobAndrew P. Collins
4/22/19 9:19pm
Flying wings in general have problems with pitch. But a control failure would also be fatal with the lack of any backup controls.
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KayGBBob
4/22/19 9:27pm
Flying wings do not have problems with pitch. Their pilots have problems with pitch control. Hell, loads of pilots have problems with pitch control in some of the most benign aircraft ever designed. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve had to intercede because the being checked out pilot was doing their level best to tunnel underground on landing.
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LivingLaVidadidasKayGB
4/22/19 10:02pm
No they actually have poor pitch stability mathematically speaking which these days can be augmented with fly by wire so the pilot probably has to be really attentive at all times when flying something so vintage. That being said I don’t know anything about this particular aircraft.
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KayGBLivingLaVidadidas
4/22/19 10:22pm
Sorry, that’s complete nonsense. For instance, several famous German pilots described the Me163 as one of the finest handling aircraft in Luftwaffe service. Properly designed, flying wings fly just fine.
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gmporschenutKayGB
4/22/19 10:36pm
the me 163 still suffered pitch issues at lower speeds when going in for landings,
Also the me163 is a delta wing and not a flying wind due to the extended tail and vertical stabilizer.
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The JugAndrew P. Collins
4/23/19 10:15am
I watched the entire event. He pulled up slightly while approaching NSWC Corona. He then began and right hand rolling maneuver. Once he was upside down the engines sputtered (likely gravity fed) and he lurched the remaining roll out while pulling back (due to his flight attitude, this pointed the nose to the ground). He then put engines to full throttle and continued pulling back which drove him into the ground at the prison just north of NSWC Corona.
It appeared to me (flying for 15 years) that he thought himself capable of a “barrel roll” and simply couldn’t handle the maneuver. It is so sad that decision cost the aviation community the last of these beautiful aircraft.
Furthermore, due to airspace congestion, I don’t believe he was any higher than 2700 feet MSL as the KONT class Charlie starts at 2700 in this area.
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1968 Falcon - 255,350 miles currentlyThe Jug
4/23/19 12:34pm
Your comment should be higher
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Fe2O3 is characterThe Jug
4/23/19 3:14pm
If you were actually there and watched it, your comment should indeed be higher. Was he in a practice area? Because I don’t think you’re supposed to be doing aerobatics in regular B/C/D/E controlled airspace:
No person may operate an aircraft in aerobatic flight—
(a) Over any congested area of a city, town, or settlement;
(b) Over an open air assembly of persons;
(c) Within the lateral boundaries of the surface areas of Class B, Class C, Class D, or Class E airspace designated for an airport;
(d) Within 4 nautical miles of the center line of any Federal airway;
(e) Below an altitude of 1,500 feet above the surface; or. (f) When flight visibility is less than 3 statute miles.
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https://jalopnik.com/towing-a-294-foot-trailer-through-small-town-usa-looks-1834178448
Foxtrot Alpha
Could This Oddball Stealth Jet (Partly) Replace the A-10 Warthog?
Kyle Mizokami
Monday 4:20pm
1412
The Scaled Composites Model 401 is a small, single engine jet that looks just like what the military wants: new a light attack aircraft capable of supporting troops on the ground. It’s also a total weirdo.
Built by Scaled Composites, a general purveyor of strange-looking airplanes with funny names like the Proteus and the BiPod, and introduced to the public in 2017, the 401 is in the news again after a sighting last week in Mojave, California.
For years, the U.S. Air Force has planned to eventually replace the illustrious A-10 Warthog ground attack jet with the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. The Air Force is convinced that the A-10, which was expected to have a relatively short lifespan in the Cold War battles it was designed for, will fare even worse against modern air defense guns and missiles fielded by Russia and China.
The Air Force Initiative To Replace The A-10 Warthog Is Nothing But Vaporware
The fight to kill the A-10 Warthog rages on in Washington after the U.S. Air Force tried to…
Read more
While the F-35 will target the ground forces of high-end enemies, the service also wants a low-end attack aircraft for bombing enemies without sophisticated air defenses, such as ISIS and the Taliban. Used against such enemies, the F-35 and A-10 would be like using Thor’s hammer to kill ants.
A low-end “observer, attack” or OA aircraft that uses a single turboprop or turbofan engine would be cheaper than the F-35 to buy, cheaper to fly, and be able to operate from dusty, austere airbases in the middle of nowhere.
Embrauer Super Tucano aircraft dropping a laser-guided bomb as part of the light attack aircraft competition, 2017.Photo: Ethan D. Wagner (U.S. Air Force)
In 2017 the service ran what amounted to a fly-off competition between a number of planes, including the Beechcraft AT-6 Wolverine, Sierra Nevada A-29 Super Tucano, and Textron Scorpion, but by January the service said the OA-X program was on indefinite hold as the service wanted more options.
Perhaps not coincidentally, the Scaled Composites 401 was unveiled in October 2017. Scaled Composites claimed the aircraft were built on behalf of a “proprietary customer” (cough the Feds cough) as an “aircraft for research flight services to industry partners and the United States government.”
Here’s a video of the 401’s first flight:
Scaled Composites built two 401s. The planes have a stealthy look to them, with flat features and a wing similar to that of the General Atomic Predator-C drone. Both Model 401 planes measure 38 feet long with a 38-foot wingspan. The aircraft, which are powered by a Pratt & Whitney JTD15D-5D engine, can reach Mach 0.6 and fly up to three hours at a time. Its maximum takeoff weight is 8,000 pounds.
The company further reports on its website that the aircraft has a maximum ceiling of 30,000 feet. It weighs 4,000 pounds empty with a maximum takeoff weight of 8,000 pounds. That’s more than two VW Beetles and easily enough to include a pilot, fuel, sensor and targeting system, four 250 pound laser guided bombs, and a gun pod for good measure.
The 401’s powerplant is a Pratt & Whitney JTD15D-5D engine generating 3,045 pounds of thrust. The JTD15D-5D has been around for a while and was used to power the first Cessna Citation. Today it is still mostly a civilian engine, with the exception of the Alenia Aermacchi M-311 light attack jet. According to Defense News, which covered the 401’s rollout at the time, the aircraft has a top speed of Mach 0.6 and can fly for up to three hours.
The 401 could easily become a light attack aircraft. Scaled Composites could fit the aircraft with an electro-optical sensor system allowing the pilot to identify targets on the ground, especially at night or under cover of clouds or smoke. A Link 16 datalink would allow the pilot to collaborate with ground forces and other air units to share data, such as target coordinates.
Thanks to America’s endless wars, there is no shortage of lightweight, precision-guided weaponry to hang off an armed 401, including APKWS II laser guided 2.75-inch rockets, externally-mounted cannon pods, Stormbreaker all-weather bombs, and air-to-ground missiles such as the short-range Griffin and larger Hellfire.
The ARES prototype aircraft.Image: Scaled Composites
One useful clue from last week’s sighting: ground crew servicing the aircraft wore t-shirts emblazoned with the phrase “Son of ARES.” ARES, or Agile Responsive Effective Support, was a Scaled Composites prototype built built in the late 1980s and flowing in 1990 response to a U.S. Army request for a “low-cost, battlefield attack aircraft.” Sound familiar? It’s almost like the military has been asking for the same stuff for decades, and it never happens.
There’s a lot we don’t know about the plane. We don’t know how much it costs, or how much it will cost per hour to fly—important drivers for what is supposed to be an aircraft orders of magnitude cheaper than the F-35. What we do know is that, as of this week, it’s still flying, doing who knows what.
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Kyle Mizokami
Kyle Mizokami is a defense and security writer based in San Francisco, California.
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