Northrop Beta

Northrop Beta

Northrop Beta 3-view drawing from L'Aerophile Salon 1932
Role	Sporting Monoplane Type of aircraft
Manufacturer	Northrop
Designer	Don R. Berlin
First flight	3 March 1931
Number built	2 (1 Beta 3 and 1 Beta 3D)^[1]
Variants	Northrop Alpha Northrop Gamma

The Northrop Beta was an American single-engine, all-metal, low-wing sporting monoplane built in 1931.^[1]

Design and development

The Beta was a two-seater with a 160 hp (119 kW) Menasco Buccaneer inline engine. The first aircraft registered as NX963Y (later NC963Y) crashed in California. The second aircraft, N12214, was built as a single-seater and fitted with a 300 hp (224 kW) Pratt & Whitney Wasp Jr. radial engine, and became the first aircraft of such power to exceed 200 mph (322 km/h).^[1] Only two were built.

The aircraft was flown to Wichita for sister company Stearman Aircraft to use as a demonstrator but with the poor economy at the time, none were sold. The aircraft was sold to a wealthy pilot in New York and during its delivery, it passed through Wright Field in order to allow a thorough examination by Army Air Corps Engineers as the Air Corps was still using obsolete biplanes.

After being rarely flown during 1932, the aircraft was sold to a new owner who kept it at Roosevelt Field until it was flipped over at a nearby airport. The aircraft was repaired at the Stearman factory in Wichita and used as an experimental test platform for various flap designs until it crashed due to a wing structural failure on May 4, 1934.

Specifications (Beta 3D)

General characteristics

Crew: 1
Length: 66 m (21 ft 8 in)
Wingspan: 9.75 m (32 ft 0 in)
Powerplant: 1 × Pratt & Whitney Wasp Jr. radial, 224 kW (300 hp)

Performance

Maximum speed: 341 km/h (212 mph, 184 kn)
Cruise speed: 297 km/h (185 mph, 160 kn)

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Northrop Beta.

^ ^a ^b ^c The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. Eds: Paul Eden, Soph Moeng. Amber Books Ltd., London (2002) ISBN 0-7607-3432-1

Northrop aircraft and aircraft engines

Manufacturer
designations

'Greek' series	Alpha Beta Gamma Delta
'N' series	Note: Northrop company designations include a wide variety of technologies. Only aircraft, aero engines, and missiles are linked here. N-1/M N-2 N-3 N-4 N-5 N-6 N-7 N-8 N-9/M N-10 N-12 N-14 N-15 N-16 N-18 N-19 N-20 N-21 N-23 N-24 N-25A/B N-26 N-29 N-31 N-32 N-34 N-35 N-36 N-37 N-38 N-39 N-40 N-41 N-45 N-46 N-47 N-48 N-49 N-50 N-51 N-52 N-54 N-55 N-59 N-60 N-63 N-65 N-67 N-68 N-69 N-71 N-72 N-73 N-74 N-81 N-82 N-84 N-86 N-87 N-94 N-96 N-102 N-103 N-105 N-110 N-111 N-112 N-117 N-124 N-132 N-133 N-134 N-135 N-138 N-141 N-144 N-149 N-150 N-151 N-155 N-156 N-165 N-204 N-205 N-250 N-251 N-267 N-285 N-300 N-301 N-302 N-303 N-304 N-305 N-306 N-307 N-311 N-320 N-321 N-322 N-330 N-353 N-370 N-381
'P' series	P530 P600 P610 P630

By role

Attack	YA-13 XA-16 A-17/Nomad N-3PB YA-9
Bombers	YB-35 YB-49 B-62 BT B2T B-2
Drones	Q-4
Fighters	3A XP-56 P-61 XP-79 F-89 XFT F2T F-5/CF-5/CF-116 YF-17 F-18L F-20 YF-23
Reconnaissance	F-15 RF-61 RF-5 N-165 N-204
Trainers	T-38
Transports	Alpha Beta Gamma Delta C-19 C-100 YC-125 RT
Experimental	N-1M N-9M JB-1 MX-324 MX-334 M2-F2 M2-F3 HL-10 Tacit Blue X-4 X-21