Northrop Beta

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

Northrop Beta
Role Sporting Monoplane
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

Design & 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)
Northrop Beta 3-view drawing from L'Aerophile Salon 1932

General characteristics

  • Crew: 1
  • Length: 6,6 m (21 ft 8 in.)
  • Wingspan: 9,75 m (32 ft 0 in.)
  • Height: ()
  • Powerplant: 1 × Pratt & Whitney Wasp Jr. radial, 300 hp (224 kW)

Performance

Armament
No

Beta 3 1931 = 2pOlwM; 160 hp Menasco B-6; span: 32'0" length: 21'8" v: 175/145/48; ff: 3/3/31(?) (p: Edmund Allen). Don R. Berlin. All-metal; fully panted wheels. $8,500; POP: 2 [X963Y, X12214], the second of which had 300 hp P&W Wasp Jr (v: 212/185/65) as Stearman-Northrop Beta 3D (qv).

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See also

Related development

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