Naval Aircraft Factory N3N

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N3N
N3N USMC over Parris Island 1942.jpg
US Marine Corps N3N-3 over Parris Island, 1942
General information
TypeTraining aircraft
National originUnited States
Manufacturer Naval Aircraft Factory
Primary user United States Navy
Number built997
History
Manufactured1935-1942
Introduction date1936
First flightAugust 1935 [1]
Retired1961

The Naval Aircraft Factory N3N is an American tandem-seat, open cockpit, primary training biplane aircraft built by the Naval Aircraft Factory (NAF) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, during the 1930s and early 1940s.

Contents

Development and design

Built to replace the Consolidated NY-2 and NY-3, the N3N was successfully tested as both a conventional airplane and a seaplane. [1] The seaplane used a single large float under the fuselage and two smaller floats under the outer tips of the lower wings. The conventional airplane used a fixed landing gear. The prototype XN3N-1 was powered by a Wright J-5 radial engine. An order for 179 production aircraft was received. [1] Near the end of the first production run the engine was replaced with the Wright R-760-2 Whirlwind radial. The aircraft is constructed using Alcoa's extruded aluminum, with bolts and rivets, rather than the more common welded steel tubing fuselages. Early production models used aluminum stringers formed for cancelled airship construction orders. [2] [3] [4] [5]

Operational history

NAF N3N-3 flown privately in Florida in 1972 NAF N3N-3 N6398T 2771 FLExec 16.04.72 edited-3.jpg
NAF N3N-3 flown privately in Florida in 1972

The N.A.F. built 997 N3N aircraft beginning in 1935. They included 179 N3N-1s and 816 N3N-3s, plus their prototypes. Production ended in 1942, but the type remained in use through the rest of World War II. The N3N was the last biplane in US military service - the last (used by the U.S. Naval Academy for aviation familiarization) were retired in 1959. The N3N was also unique in that it was an aircraft designed and manufactured by an aviation firm wholly owned and operated by the U.S. government (the Navy, in this case) as opposed to private industry. For this purpose, the U.S. Navy bought the rights and the tooling for the Wright R-760 series engine and produced their own engines. These Navy-built engines were installed on Navy-built airframes. [3]

According to Trimble, "The N3N-3, sometimes known as the Yellow Bird for its distinctive, high-visibility paint scheme, or less kindly, Yellow Peril for the jeopardy in which student aviators often found themselves, showed itself to be rugged, reliable, and generally forgiving to student pilots." [3]

Four N3N-3s were delivered to the United States Coast Guard in 1941.

Postwar, many surviving aircraft were sold on the US civil aircraft market and bought for operation by agricultural aerial spraying firms and private pilot owners. According to Robinet, "The front cockpit had been replaced with a huge metal hopper that loaded from the top and discharged dust from the bottom through a simple venturi type spreader. The airplane was originally powered by a 235 h.p. Wright Radial engine but for their purposes, these were replaced by 450 h.p. Pratt & Whitney radial engines. The engine, wheels and instruments were obtained from the Army BT-13 which was purchased for less that $350.00 each." [6]

A number are still (as of 2014) active in the USA.

Variants

N3N production in 1937 N3N production NAF 1937.JPG
N3N production in 1937
XN3N-1
First prototype aircraft, Bureau of Aeronautics number 9991.
N3N-1
Two-seat primary trainer biplane, powered by a 220 hp (160 kW) Wright R-790 Whirlwind (J-5) radial piston engine. 179 were built.
XN3N-2
One prototype only (Bureau number 0265) powered by a 240 hp (180 kW) Wright R-760-96 Whirlwind (J-6-7) radial piston engine.
XN3N-3
One production N3N-1 (0020) converted into a 'dash three' prototype.
N3N-3
Two-seat primary trainer biplane, powered by a 235 hp (175 kW) Wright R-760-2 Whirlwind (J-6-7) radial piston engine. 816 built. [1]

Operators

US Marine Corps N3N-3, 1942. N3N-3 USMC at Parris Island 1942.jpg
US Marine Corps N3N-3, 1942.
An N3N at the 2019 Fort Worth Alliance Air Show 2019 Fort Worth Alliance Air Show 142 (Naval Aircraft Factory N3N).jpg
An N3N at the 2019 Fort Worth Alliance Air Show
Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States

Surviving aircraft

An N3N-3 seaplane on display at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. 20180328 N3N-3 Udvar-Hazy.jpg
An N3N-3 seaplane on display at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center.

Specifications (N3N-3)

3-view line drawing of the Naval Aircraft Factory N3N-3 Naval Aircraft Factory N3N-3 3-view line drawing.png
3-view line drawing of the Naval Aircraft Factory N3N-3

Data from Holmes, 2005. p. 96.

General characteristics

Performance

Communications were done by the instructor through a speaking tube to the student in the front cockpit. Communications back were agreed-upon gestures. [25]

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

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References

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 4 Holmes, 2005. p. 98.
  2. Gene Smith (February 1989). "A Dream of Wings". Air Progress.
  3. 1 2 3 Trimble, William (1990). Wings for the Navy: a history of the Naval Aircraft Factory, 1917-1956. Annapolis: United States Naval Institute. pp. 127–139, 336–337. ISBN   9780870216633.
  4. "Military Aircraft, Trainers". Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  5. Bailey, Stewart (2009). "N3N-3 Yellow Peril Joins the Museum Collection" (PDF). Evergreen Museum. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
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Bibliography