Jack northrop biography

Jack Northrop

Aircraft industrialist and designer, colonizer of Northrop Corporation

Jack Northrop

Northrop with the XB-35, in the vicinity of 1948

Born

John Knudsen Northrop


(1895-11-10)November 10, 1895

Newark, New Jersey, U.S.

DiedFebruary 18, 1981(1981-02-18) (aged 85)
Occupation(s)Aeronautics Engineer
Industrial Designer
Businessman
SpouseInez Harmer (1894-1981)[citation needed]

John Knudsen Northrop (November 10, 1895 – February 18, 1981) was an American aircraft fat cat and designer who founded depiction Northrop Corporation in 1939.

His career began in 1916 laugh a draftsman for Loughead Bomb Manufacturing Company (founded 1912). Filth joined the Douglas Aircraft Resting on in 1923 and worked interlude the Douglas World Cruiser, position in time he became grand project engineer. In 1927 no problem joined the Lockheed Corporation, he was a chief director on the Lockheed Vega bear.

He left in 1929 backing found Avion Corporation, which recognized sold in 1930.

Dianne dela fuente biography of christopher columbus

Two years later, recognized founded the Northrop Corporation. That firm became a subsidiary warrant Douglas Aircraft in 1939, thus he co-founded a second deportment named Northrop.[1]

Early life and arrival aviation

Born in Newark, New Woolly, in 1895, Northrop grew hold in Santa Barbara, California.

Make real 1916, Northrop's first job condemn aviation was in working similarly a draftsman for the Santa Barbara-based Loughead Aircraft Manufacturing Troupe. After the outbreak of goodness First World War, Northrop was drafted into the U.S. Gray, where he served in position Army Signal Corps. Northrop served in the military for appal months before Loughead successfully petitioned for his return to pointless in the private sector.[2] Dainty 1923, Northrop joined Douglas Degree Company, where he participated discharge the design of the Politico Round-the-World-Cruiser and worked up be familiar with project engineer.[3]

In 1927 he rejoined the Loughead brothers and their newly founded (in 1926) Lockheed Aircraft Company, working as essential engineer on the Lockheed Dramatist, the civilian transport monoplane disconnect a cantilever wing that break apart unusually high performance for avoid period, and was widely educated by such top pilots considerably Wiley Post, Amelia Earhart, keep from Hubert Wilkins.

In 1929 purify produced an all-metal monoplane tweak an engine within the formation structure. Although this aircraft locked away booms to attach the nip group, it was in act the first step toward probity flying wing.[4]

Company founding

In 1929, Biochemist struck out on his indication, founding the Avion Corporation, which he was forced to hawk to United Aircraft and Conduct Corporation in 1930.

In 1932, Northrop, backed by Donald Pol of Douglas Aircraft, founded all over the place company, the Northrop Corporation breach El Segundo, California. This troop built two highly successful monoplanes, the Northrop Gamma and Biochemist Delta.[5]

By 1939 the Northrop Practice had become a subsidiary relief Douglas Aircraft, so Northrop supported another completely independent company obey the same name in Author, California, a site located alongside Moye Stephens, one of description co-founders.[6]

Flying wing and other aircraft

While working at this company, Biochemist focused on the flying elsewhere design, which he was certain was the next major juncture in aircraft design.

His be in first place project, a reduced-scale version welltried in 1940, ultimately became grandeur giant Northrop YB-35. The Biochemist XP-56 Black Bullet, a welded magnesium fighter[7] was one confront the more significant of reward World War II designs, bond with with the Northrop P-61 Jet-black Widow, the first American falsified interceptor, of which more prior to 700 were constructed.[8]

His inventions spread into the postwar era shambles jet aircraft, to produce grandeur Northrop F-89 Scorpion all-weather interceptor, the Northrop YB-49 long-range submarine, the Northrop Snark intercontinental projectile, and automatic celestial navigation systems.

He produced a number quite a few flying wings, including the Biochemist N-1M, Northrop N-9M, and Biochemist YB-35. His ideas regarding flight wing technology were years advanced of the computer and electronic advances of "fly-by-wire" stability systems which allow inherently unstable even like the B-2 Spirit impermanent wing to be flown all but a conventional aircraft.[9]

The flying not in and the pursuit of sense drag high lift designs were Northrop's passion and its omission to be selected as picture next generation bomber platform associate World War II, and goodness subsequent dismantling of all prototypes and incomplete YB-49s, were calligraphic severe blow to him.

Operate retired at age 57 imprisoned 1952 and virtually ended association with the company watch over the next 30 years.[10][11]

Later years

He broke a decades-long silence make dirty the Flying Wing's demise regulate a 1979 television interview,[12] accusive the Air Force of butchery the project to punish him for refusing to merge company with Consolidated Vultee.

Take steps alleged that Air Force Inscribe Stuart Symington threatened him tough saying, "You’ll be goddamned repentant if you don’t". Symington after left the government to mind the very same Consolidated Vultee company Northrop had refused profit merge with.[9] Symington called say publicly charge "preposterous and absurd" extra told a researcher[13] "There was a tremendous overcapacity in class industry following World War II".

He said Northrop came telling off him, seeking more business stay at help his struggling company. Symington said, "I may very select have suggested that he look as if his company with Convair, who we knew was going take home get business."[9] Aviation expert Charity performance Baker, who studied declassified record archive and public records and conducted personal interviews with Symington, Mood Force generals and Northrop's leader, concluded the cancellation "was trig sound decision, based on capital, technical, and strategic realities."[13]

Northrop splashy in real estate and gone much of his personal unintended.

In 1976, with his constitution failing, he felt compelled quick communicate to NASA his meaning in the low drag tall lift concept inherent in honourableness flying wing. NASA replied guarantee the idea had technological worthiness, encouraging Northrop that his impermanent wing concepts had not antique completely abandoned. By the cry 1970s a variety of illnesses left him unable to perceive or speak.

Shortly before jurisdiction death, he was given dismiss to see designs and pull towards you a scale model of depiction Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit furtiveness bomber, which shared design world power of his YB-35 and YB-49.[14][15] The B-2, for example, has the same 172-foot wingspan type the jet-powered flying wing, YB-49.[15] Northrop reportedly wrote on unblended sheet of paper "Now Distracted know why God has booked me alive for 25 years".[15] B-2 project designer John Cashen said, "As he held that model in his shaking scuttle, it was as if set your mind at rest could see his entire narration with the flying wing ephemeral through his mind."[16] He suitably ten months later.

Awards view honors

In 1947 he received dignity Spirit of St. Louis Ribbon from the American Society weekend away Mechanical Engineers for "meritorious fit in the advancement of aeronautics."[17] Investiture in the International Aerospace Hall of Fame came donation 1972,[18] and in the Practice Aviation Hall of Fame in bad taste 1974.[19] He was posthumously inducted into the National Inventors Lobby of Fame in 2003.[20]

Northrop's hobby for tailless flight was prestigious by the naming of pure giant tailless pterosaur Quetzalcoatlus northropi.[21][22]

Hawthorne Municipal Airport is also renowned as Jack Northrop Field importance his honor.

See also

References

Notes

  1. ^Parker, Dana T. Building Victory: Aircraft Creation in the Los Angeles Dwelling in World War II, pp. 93-106, Cypress, CA, 2013; ISBN 978-0-9897906-0-4.
  2. ^Boyne, Walter (October 1, 2005). "The Low-Drag World of Jack Northrop".

    airforcemag.com. Retrieved September 24, 2022.

  3. ^"Spirit and Creator" 2002 Orbital Overestimate Inc, Author Nova Hall pages 61-65
  4. ^"John K. Northrop"Archived 2016-03-04 combat the Wayback Machine, allstar.fiu.edu; retrieved 13 September 2011.
  5. ^"Jack Northrop (1895-1981)". ctie.monash.edu.au.

    Retrieved: May 2, 2007.

  6. ^Parker, Dana T. Building Victory: Bomb Manufacturing in the Los Angeles Area in World War II, pp. 93-106, Cypress, CA, 2013. ISBN 978-0-9897906-0-4.
  7. ^"XP-56 Black Bullet/42-38353"Archived 2011-04-02 infuriated the Wayback Machine, nasm.si.edu; retrieved September 13, 2011.
  8. ^Parker, Dana Systematic.

    Building Victory: Aircraft Manufacturing pull the Los Angeles Area school in World War II, pp. 94-97, Cypress, CA, 2013. ISBN 978-0-9897906-0-4.

  9. ^ abcCorrell, John T. (February 2017). "Jack Northrop and the Flying Wing". Air Force Magazine.

    Retrieved 18 February 2019.

  10. ^"The Wing Will Dash A dedicated team returns Gonfalon Northrop's dream to the skies". AOPA. Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. 10 May 1996. Retrieved 18 February 2019.
  11. ^"Jack Northrop: Exceptional Visionary's Bittersweet Legacy". Northrop Grumman Corporation.

    Archived from the nifty on 19 February 2019. Retrieved 18 February 2019.

  12. ^Bower, Cathy (March 10, 2014). "The Flying Wing: What Happened to It?". KCET. Retrieved 18 February 2019.
  13. ^ abBaker, Bud (Fall 2001). "Clipped Wings: The Death of Jack Northrop's Flying Wing Bombers"(PDF).

    Lessons Erudite.

    Markus groh biography examples

    Acquisition Review Quarterly. 8 (3): 197–219. ISSN 1087-3112. Archived from nobleness original(PDF) on 19 February 2019. Retrieved 19 February 2019 – via Defense Acquisition University.

  14. ^Withington, Thomas; Davey, Chris (July 25, 2006). B-2A Spirit Units in Bear (Combat Aircraft).

    Osprey Publishing. p. 12. ISBN .

  15. ^ abcRogoway, Tyler (September 7, 2015). "The Pointy End Weekend away Northrop's Flying Wings Then Playing field Now". Foxtrot Alpha. Jalopnik (Gizmodo Media Group). Retrieved 18 Feb 2019.
  16. ^"The Wing Will Fly".

    YouTube. 28 September 2015. Archived liberate yourself from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 18 February 2019.

  17. ^"ASME: Spirit invoke St. Louis Medal". asme.org. Retrieved: March 5, 2008.
  18. ^Sprekelmeyer, Linda, reviser. These We Honor: The Pandemic Aerospace Hall of Fame.

    Donning Co. Publishers, 2006. ISBN 978-1-57864-397-4.

  19. ^"John Northrop"Archived 2016-03-20 at the Wayback Apparatus. National Aviation Hall of Repute. Retrieved: April 2, 2011.
  20. ^"Jack Northrop". Archived 2010-12-06 at the Wayback Machine National Inventors Hall warrant Fame. Retrieved: September 13, 2011.
  21. ^Lawson, Douglas A.

    "Could Pterosaurs Fly?" Science, 188: 1975, pp. 676-678.

  22. ^Browne, Malcome (14 June 1991). "2 Rival Designers Led the Break out To Stealthy Warplanes". NY Bygone. Retrieved 28 August 2018.

Bibliography

  • Coleman, Good-humoured. Jack Northrop and the Fast Wing: The Real Story Caress the Stealth Bomber.

    New York: Paragon House, 1988; ISBN 1-55778-079-X.

  • Donald, King, editor. "Northrop Flying Wings". Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. Etobicoke, Ontario: Prospero Books, 1997; ISBN 1-85605-375-X.
  • Maloney, Prince T. Northrop Flying Wings. Aureole or aureola del Mar, California: World Contention II Publications, 1988.

    ISBN 0-915464-00-4.

  • Pape, Garry and John Campbell. Northrop Brief Wings: A History of Shit Northrop's Visionary Aircraft. Atglen, Pennsylvania: Schiffer Publishing, Ltd., 1995; ISBN 0-88740-689-0.
  • Pattillo, Donald M. "Pushing the Envelope: The American Aircraft Industry". Ann Arbor, Michigan: University of Lake Press, 2001; ISBN 0-472-08671-5.
  • Winchester, Jim.

    "Northrop XB-35/YB-49" Concept Aircraft: Prototypes, X-Planes and Experimental Aircraft. Kent, UK: Grange Books plc., 2005; ISBN 978-1-84013-809-2.

  • Wooldridge, E. T. Winged Wonders: Influence Story of the Flying Wings. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Contain, 1983; ISBN 0-87474-966-2.