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| BT-1 | |
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| Role | Dive bomber |
| Manufacturer | Northrop |
| Designed by | Ed Heinemann |
| First flight | 19 August 1935 |
| Primary user | United States Navy |
| Number built | 55 |
| Variants | SBD Dauntless |
The Northrop BT was a two seat, single engine, monoplane, dive bomber built by the Northrop Corporation for the United States Navy. At the time Northrop was a subsidiary of the Douglas Aircraft Company.
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Design and development
The design of the initial version began in 1935. A 700 hp Pratt and Whitney XR-1535-66 Twin Wasp Jr. double row, radial air-cooled engine powered the aircraft. The aircraft had slotted flaps and a landing gear that partially retracted.
The next iteration of the BT, designated the XBT-1 was equipped with a 750 hp R-1535 engine. This aircraft was followed in 1936 by the BT-1 that was powered by an 825 hp Pratt and Whitney R-1535-94 engine. One of the BT-1 aircraft was modified with a fixed tricycle landing gear and was the first such aircraft to land on an aircraft carrier.
The final variant, the XBT-2, was a BT-1 aircraft modified to incorporate a fully retracting landing gear, wing slots, a redesigned canopy, and was powered by an 800 hp Wright XR-1820-32 radial air-cooled engine. The XBT-2 first flew on 25 April 1938 and after successful testing the Navy placed an order for 144 aircraft. In 1939 the aircraft designation was changed to the Douglas SBD-1 with the last 87 on order completed as SBD-2s. The Northrop Corporation had become the El Segundo division of Douglas aircraft hence the change to Douglas.
Operational history
The U.S. Navy placed an order for 54 BT-1s in 1936 with the aircraft entering service during 1938. The BT-1s served on the USS Yorktown and USS Enterprise. The type was not a success in service due to poor handling characteristics, especially at low speeds, "a fatal flaw in a carrier based aircraft."1 It was also prone to unexpected rolls and a number of aircraft were lost in crashes.
Variants
- XBT-1
- Prototype, one built.
- BT-1
- Production variant, 54 built.
- XBT-2
- One BT-1 modified with fully-retractable landing gear and other modifications.
- BT-2
- Production variant of the XBT-2, 144 on order completed as SBD-1 and SBD-2.
Operators
Specifications (BT-1)
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General characteristics
- Crew: two (pilot and gunner)
- Length: 9.5 m (31 ft 3 in)
- Wingspan: 12.7 m (41 ft 6 in)
- Height: 3.81 m (12.5 ft)
- Wing area: 29.63 m² (134.5 ft²)
- Empty weight: 2029 kg (4464 lb)
- Max takeoff weight: 3209 kg (7060 lb)
- Powerplant: 1× Pratt & Whitney R-1535-94 Twin Wasp Jr. double row radial air-cooled engine, 615 kW (825 hp)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 357 km/h (222 mph)
- Cruise speed: 309 km/h (192 mph)
- Range: 1,850 km (2,979 miles)
- Service ceiling 7,710 m (25,300 ft)
Armament
- 1 × 12.7 mm machine gun
- 1 × 7.62 mm machine gun
- 454 kg (1,000 lb) of bombs on external wing racks
Popular culture
Northrop BT-1s appeared in pre-war yellow wing paint schemes in the technicolor film Dive Bomber (1941) with Errol Flynn.
See also
Related development
Comparable aircraft
Related lists
References
Notes
Bibliography
- Bowers, Peter M. United States Navy Aircraft since 1911. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 1990, ISBN 0-87021-792-5.
- Brazelton, David. The Douglas SBD Dauntless, Aircraft in Profile 196. Leatherhead, Surrey: Profile Publications Ltd., 1967. No ISBN.
- Drendel, Lou. U.S. Navy Carrier Bombers of World War II. Carrollton, TX: Squadron/Signal Publications, Inc., 1987. ISBN 0-89747-195-4.
- Gunston, Bill. The Illustrated History of McDonnell Douglas Aircraft: From Cloudster to Boeing. London: Osprey Publishing, 1999. ISBN 1-85532-924-7.
- Kinzey, Bert. SBD Dauntless in Detail & Scale, D&S Vol.48. Carrollton, TX: Squadron/Signal Publications, Inc., 1996. ISBN 1-888974-01-X.
External links
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