Northrop N-204

Northrop N-204
Role	High altitude reconnaissance aircraft
Manufacturer	Northrop Corporation
Status	paper project only
Primary user	United States Air Force (intended)
Number built	none completed

Last updated March 27, 2021

The Northrop N-204 was a high altitude reconnaissance jet aircraft designed in the United States in the 1950s.

Development

In fall 1957, Northrop submitted a proposal to the United States Air Force for a subsonic high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft, having capitalized on their earlier N-165 design study. The concerns by CIA pilots that the Lockheed U-2 was being tracked by radars on spy missions over the Soviet Union prompted Northrop to make low observable technology a part of the N-204 design, as was later done with the Lockheed A-12.^[1]

Although Northrop estimated that the N-204 could go into service in 1960, the N-204 project did not proceed to the hardware stage.^[1]

Design

The N-204 was similar to the Lockheed U-2 and Yakovlev Yak-25RV in having long, straight wings like an ordinary sailplane, and a v-tail. However, the engines of the aircraft were not buried in the wing roots or podded under the wings, but instead were buried in the outboard end of the wing center-section.^[1]

Specifications (estimated)

Data from^[1]

General characteristics

Crew: two, pilot and flight engineer/RSO officer
Length: 105 ft 8 in (32.2 m)
Wingspan: 273 ft 9 in (83.44 m)
Wing area: 5,000 sq ft (464.52 m²)
Gross weight: 34,000 lb (15,422 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 75,000 lb (34,019 kg)
Powerplant: 8 × Westinghouse J54 turbojets, 6,075 lbf (27.02 kN) thrust each

Performance

Maximum speed: 480 kn (553 mph, 885 km/h)
Range: 3,000 nmi (3,452 mi, 5,556 km)
Service ceiling: 85,000 ft (25,908 m)

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References

1 2 3 4 Chong, Tony, 2016. Flying Wings & Radical Things: Northrop’s Secret Aerospace Projects & Concepts 1939-1994. Forest Lake, Minnesota: Specialty Press.

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[Northrop-1] 1 2 3 4 Chong, Tony, 2016. Flying Wings & Radical Things: Northrop’s Secret Aerospace Projects & Concepts 1939-1994. Forest Lake, Minnesota: Specialty Press.

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