Northrop Corporation facts for kids
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| Industry | Aerospace |
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| Fate | Merged with Grumman |
| Successor | Northrop Grumman |
| Founded | 1939 |
| Founders | Jack Northrop |
| Defunct | 1994 |
| Headquarters |
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United States of America
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Key people
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| Products | Aircraft |
| Subsidiaries | Radioplane Company |
Northrop Corporation was a famous American company that built aircraft. It started in 1939 and was known for making amazing planes. In 1994, it joined with another company called Grumman. Together, they became Northrop Grumman.
Northrop was especially famous for its unique "flying wing" aircraft designs. The most well-known of these is the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber. This plane looks like a giant bat and can fly without being easily seen by radar.
Contents
Aviation History: Northrop's Journey
The company's founder, Jack Northrop, was a brilliant aircraft designer. He actually started three different companies with his name! The first two were absorbed by other larger companies.
In 1939, Jack Northrop finally started the "Northrop Corporation" in Hawthorne, California. This was the company that would become very famous. It was located by his co-founder, Moye Stephens.
Northrop's Role in World War II
During World War II, Northrop Corporation was a very important company. It was among the top 100 companies in the United States for making military products. They built many important planes for the war effort.
Some of the famous aircraft they developed include the P-61 Black Widow night fighter. This plane was designed to fly at night and find enemy aircraft. They also built experimental flying wing bombers like the B-35 and YB-49.
Jet Age Innovations
After the war, Northrop continued to innovate. They created the F-89 Scorpion interceptor, a fast jet designed to stop enemy planes. They also made the SM-62 Snark, which was a long-range cruise missile.
One of their most successful planes was the F-5 Freedom Fighter. This was an affordable and effective jet fighter. It also led to the T-38 Talon, a popular trainer jet used to teach pilots.
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Developing New Fighters
Northrop tried to create new lightweight fighter jets like the F-5. They developed planes like the YF-17 Cobra. This plane competed against the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon, but it didn't win.
However, the YF-17 Cobra was later improved with help from another company, McDonnell Douglas. It became the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet, a very successful jet used by the US Navy. Northrop continued to build parts of the F-18.
They also tried to make a new low-cost jet called the F-20 Tigershark. But this project didn't get much interest and was eventually stopped.
The Stealth Bomber and Merger
Northrop used its experience with flying wings to create the amazing B-2 Spirit stealth bomber in the 1990s. This plane is almost invisible to radar.
In 1994, Northrop Corporation joined with another big aerospace company, Grumman. This merger created the new company known as Northrop Grumman.
Northrop's Amazing Aircraft
Northrop built many different types of aircraft during its history. Here is a list of some of them:
| Model name | First flight | Number built | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northrop Alpha | 1930 | 17 | Single-engine transport |
| Northrop C-19 Alpha | 1930 | 3 | Single-engine transport |
| Northrop Beta | 1931 | 2 | Single-engine sport airplane |
| Northrop Gamma | 1932 | 60 | Single-engine transport |
| Northrop Delta | 1933 | 13 | Single-engine transport, 19 additional aircraft built by Canadian Vickers |
| Northrop XFT | 1933 | 1 | Prototype naval fighter |
| Northrop YA-13 | 1933 | 1 | Prototype attack aircraft |
| Northrop A-17/Nomad | 1935 | 411 | Attack/light bomber |
| Northrop BT | 1935 | 55 | Dive bomber |
| Northrop N-1M | 1940 | 1 | Experimental flying wing |
| Northrop N-3PB | 1940 | 24 | Floatplane patrol bomber |
| Northrop P-61 Black Widow | 1942 | 706 | Night fighter |
| Northrop N-9M | 1942 | 4 | Experimental scale flying wing proof of concept for B-35 |
| Northrop XP-56 Black Bullet | 1943 | 2 | Prototype tailless fighter |
| Northrop F-15 Reporter | 1945 | 36 | Reconnaissance aircraft based on P-61 |
| Northrop XP-79 | 1945 | 1 | Prototype jet flying wing fighter |
| Northrop YB-35 | 1946 | 2 | Prototype strategic bomber |
| Northrop Pioneer | 1946 | 1 | Trimotor transport |
| Northrop YB-49 | 1947 | 6 | Prototype eight-jet-engine strategic bomber |
| Northrop F-89 Scorpion | 1948 | 1,052 | Interceptor |
| Northrop X-4 Bantam | 1948 | 2 | Experimental trans-sonic tailless aircraft |
| Northrop YC-125 Raider | 1949 | 23 | Trimotor transport |
| Northrop F-5 | 1959 | 2,246 | Lightweight fighter |
| Northrop T-38 Talon | 1959 | 1,146 | Advanced trainer |
| Northrop X-21 | 1963 | 2 | Experimental boundary layer control aircraft |
| Northrop M2-F2 | 1966 | 1 | Experimental rocket powered lifting body |
| Northrop HL-10 | 1966 | 1 | Experimental rocket lifting body |
| Northrop M2-F3 | 1970 | 1 | Experimental rocket lifting body |
| Northrop YA-9 | 1972 | 2 | Prototype attack aircraft |
| Northrop YF-17 | 1974 | 2 | Prototype fighter, led to F/A-18 |
| Northrop Tacit Blue | 1982 | 1 | Experimental stealth aircraft |
| Northrop F-20 Tigershark | 1982 | 3 | Prototype lightweight fighter derived from F-5 |
| Northrop B-2 Spirit | 1989 | 21 | Strategic stealth bomber |
| Northrop YF-23 | 1990 | 2 | Prototype stealth fighter |
Other Cool Northrop Creations
Northrop also worked on other types of flying machines and weapons.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)
These are aircraft that fly without a pilot on board.
- Northrop AQM-35
- Northrop AQM-38
- Northrop BQM-74 Chukar
Missiles
Northrop also developed different types of missiles.
- GAM-67 Crossbow
- Northrop JB-1 Bat
- SM-62 Snark
See also
- Northrop Grumman
