Northrop Delta
Delta | |
---|---|
Role | Transport aircraft |
Manufacturer | Northrop Corporation |
Designer | Jack Northrop
|
First flight | May 1933 |
Introduction | 1933 |
Primary user | Royal Canadian Air Force |
Number built | 32 |
Developed from | Northrop Gamma |
The Northrop Delta was an
Development and design
When
The first Delta was flown in May 1933, and received an airworthiness certificate in August that year.[3]
Operational history
Although it was intended that the Delta would be sold in both airliner and executive transport (initially named "Victoria") versions,
A single aircraft was built for the
In 1935, Canada selected the Delta for use as a photographic survey aircraft for use by the
The Deltas, which were capable of being operated from wheeled, ski or float undercarriages, proved capable survey aircraft, well suited to operations in the north of Canada, but in August 1939, when the outbreak of the
Variants
- Delta 1A
- Prototype. Powered by 710 hp (530 kW) Wright SR-1820-F3 Cyclone radial engine. One built.[3]
- Delta 1B
- Passenger airliner for Pan-Am. Powered by 660 hp (490 kW) Pratt & Whitney Hornet. One built.[9]
- Delta 1C
- Passenger airliner for AN Aerotransport. Powered by 700 hp (520 kW) Hornet.[9]
- Delta 1D
- Executive aircraft, powered by Cyclone or Hornet engines. Eight built, including one Northrop RT-1, powered by 735 hp (548 kW) Cyclone for United States Coast Guard.
- Delta 1E
- Airmail carrier for AB Aerotransport. One built. Powered by 660 hp (490 kW) Hornet.[10]
- Delta I
- Survey aircraft for RCAF. Powered by 775 hp (578 kW) SR-1820-F52 Cyclone. Three built, including pattern aircraft and two license built. Based on the 1D-8.
- Delta IA
- Partial modification to Mk.II standards, with bomb racks fitted.
- Delta II
- Revised version with provision for armament, including bombs, a dorsal turret mounting a .30 in Browning machine gun (later removed) and two wing mounted machine guns. Nine built.[11]
- Delta III
- Unofficial designation for Mk.II fitted with enlarged tail surfaces to counter tail buffeting from turret. Eight built.[11]
- RT-1
- United States Coast Guard designation for its sole Delta 1D-7, which was named "Golden Goose".
Military operators
- Royal Australian Air Force – Operated one impressed Delta from December 1942 to September 1943.
- Spanish Republican Air Force – ex-Swedish Northrop 1C Delta with LAPE
- Nationalist Air Force - Northrop 1D Delta captured on Mar Cantabrico
Civil operators
- Pan-AmSubsidiary)
- AB Aerotransport (now part of SAS)
- Trans World Airlines (aka TWA)
- Honeywell (executive aircraft)
- Richfield (executive aircraft)
Specifications (Delta 1D-5)
Data from McDonnell Douglas Aircraft since 1920 [12]
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Capacity: 8 Passengers (passenger variants)
- Length: 33 ft 1 in (10.08 m)
- Wingspan: 47 ft 9 in (14.55 m)
- Height: 10 ft 1 in (3.07 m)
- Wing area: 363 sq ft (33.7 m2)
- Empty weight: 4,504 lb (2,059 kg)
- Gross weight: 7,350 lb (3,334 kg)
- Powerplant: 1 × Wright SR-1820-F2 Nine-cylinder air-cooled radial engine, 735 hp (548 kW)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 190 kn (219 mph, 352 km/h) at 6,300 ft (1,920 m)
- Cruise speed: 174 kn (200 mph, 332 km/h)
- Range: 1,435 nmi (1,650 mi, 2,655 km)
- Service ceiling: 20,000 ft (6,095 m)
- Rate of climb: 1,200 ft/min (6.1 m/s)
- Wing loading: 20.2 lb/sq ft (98.9 kg/m2)
- Power/mass: 0.10 hp/lb (0.16 kW/kg)
See also
Related development
- Northrop Alpha
- Northrop Beta
- Northrop 8A
- Northrop N-3PB
- Northrop BT-1
- Northrop Gamma
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
- Airspeed Envoy
- Boeing Monomail
- Breese-Dallas Model 1
- General Aviation/Clarke GA-43
- Heinkel He 70
- Junkers Ju 60
- Kharkiv KhAI-1
- Lockheed Model 9 Orion
- Manshū Hayabusa
- Polikarpov/Rafaelyants PR-12
- Tairov OKO-1
- Vultee V-1
Related lists
- List of aircraft of World War II
- List of aircraft of the Canadian Air Force
References
- Notes
- ^ Francillon 1979, pp.23–24, 143.
- ^ a b Green 1967, p.57.
- ^ a b c d Francillon 1979, p.157.
- ^ Flight 8 February 1934, p.123.
- ^ Francillon 1979, p.163.
- ^ Francillon 1979, pp.159–161.
- ^ Green 1967, p.58.
- ^ a b Green 1967, p.60.
- ^ a b Francillon 1979, p.158.
- ^ Francillon 1979, p.159.
- ^ a b Green 1967, p.593
- ^ Francillon 1979, p.165.
- Bibliography
- "The Latest Northrops: The "Victoria" and "Delta" Models". Flight, 8 February 1934. pp. 123–124.
- Francillon, René J. McDonnell Douglas Aircraft since 1920. London:Putnam, 1979. ISBN 0-370-00050-1.
- Green, William. War Planes of The Second World War:Volume Seven – Bombers and Reconnaissance Aircraft. London:Macdonald, 1967.