Northrop YA-9
| Northrop YA-9A | |
|---|---|
 YA-9A at takeoff |
|
| Type: | Ground attack aircraft |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
May 20, 1972 |
| Commissioning: |
Never put into service |
| Production time: |
Was never mass-produced |
| Number of pieces: |
2 |
The Northrop YA-9A was the Northrop Corporation's prototype ground attack aircraft .
history
The YA-9 was developed as a counterpart to the A-10 Thunderbolt for the AX (Attack Xperimental) of the US Air Force . To this end, in April 1967 they awarded orders for a study and in May 1970 revised specifications for these to various aircraft manufacturers. The requirements were high; The machines should get by with a 300 m take-off distance, a 180-degree turn with a full load and around 300 km / h should also only take 300 m, and the duration of use in the target area should not be less than five hours. The price per plane was set at no more than $ 1.4 million. On May 18, 1970, the YA-10A and the YA-9A emerged as winners from this tender and so two prototypes each were built for a comparison flight. Northrop received $ 28.9 million for this contract. The prototypes were built in Hawthorne near New York and had their maiden flight on May 30, 1972 (71-1367 with Lew Nelson at the wheel) and on August 23, 1972 (71-1368) in Edwards. After a three-month test flight, the Y-9A was just under the A-10, with the prototypes first briefly sent to NASA and then to various museums (March Air Field Museum and Edwards) after the decision of January 18, 1973.
Technical specifications
The aircraft is a shoulder- wing wing monoplane with unearthed wings and two turbofan engines (derivatives of the T55 helicopter drive with geared turbofan ) in the wing roots. The large horizontal stabilizer had a V-position and the control took place via a combined rudder and aileron control (lateral force control). A 30 mm Gatling GAU-8 / A Avenger cannon was planned as armament, but due to lack of availability in the prototypes it was replaced by a 20 mm M61 Vulcan cannon . This represented the main armament of the aircraft and caused some design changes due to its dimensions - such as the large fuselage diameter and the lateral offset of the nose wheel. The cockpit was armored with a five centimeter thick layer of light metal (in the prototype made of aluminum ; titanium was planned for the series ). The controls were designed redundantly to increase survivability.
| Parameter | Data from the YA-9A |
|---|---|
| crew | 1 pilot |
| length | 16.31 m |
| span | 17.37 m |
| height | 5.44 m |
| Wing area | 51.10 m² |
| Preparation mass | 7,900 kg |
| Empty mass | 10,467 kg |
| normal takeoff mass | 12,961 kg |
| Max. Takeoff mass | 18,160 kg |
| Fuel capacity | 4,080 kg in two self-sealing tanks |
| Top speed | 741 km / h |
| Service ceiling | 12,200 m |
| Range | 6,085 km |
| Armament | 8,350 kg at ten stations and a 20 mm M61 Vulcan cannon |
| Engine | two geared turbofans Lycoming YF102-LD-100 |
| Thrust | 2 × 26.67 kN |
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Flugrevue February 2009, pp. 90 ff., Y-9A.