N3N
|
|
US Marine Corps N3N-3 over
Parris Island
, 1942
|
Role
|
Training aircraft
Type of aircraft
|
National origin
|
United States
|
Manufacturer
|
Naval Aircraft Factory
|
First flight
|
August 1935
[1]
|
Introduction
|
1936
|
Retired
|
1961
|
Primary user
|
United States Navy
|
Produced
|
1935-1942
|
Number built
|
997
|
The
Naval Aircraft Factory N3N
was 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.
Development and design
[
edit
]
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
[
edit
]
NAF N3N-3 flown privately in Florida in 1972
The N.A.F. built 997 N3N aircraft beginning in 1935. They included 179
N3N-1
s and 816
N3N-3
s, 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. A number are still (as of 2014) active in the USA.
Variants
[
edit
]
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
[
edit
]
US Marine Corps N3N-3, 1942.
An N3N at the 2019 Fort Worth Alliance Air Show
United States
Surviving aircraft
[
edit
]
An N3N-3 seaplane on display at the
Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center
.
- 0719 ? On display at the
Museo Nacional Aeronautico y del Espacio
in
Santiago
.
[6]
- 1918 ? On display at the
Warhawk Air Museum
in
Nampa, Idaho
.
[7]
[8]
- 2582 ? On display at the
Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum
in
Hood River, Oregon
.
[9]
[10]
- 2621 ? On display at the
Yanks Air Museum
in
Chino, California
.
[11]
[12]
- 2693 ? On display at the
National Museum of Naval Aviation
in
Pensacola, Florida
.
[13]
[14]
- 2733 ? Airworthy with the High Sierra Squadron of the
Commemorative Air Force
in
Reno, Nevada
.
[15]
[16]
- 2782 ? On display at the
Mid-Atlantic Air Museum
in
Reading, Pennsylvania
.
[17]
[18]
- 2827 ? On display at the Yanks Air Museum in Chino, California.
[19]
[20]
- 2831 ? On display at the
Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum
in
McMinnville, Oregon
.
[21]
[22]
- 2892 ? On display at the
Military Aviation Museum
in
Virginia Beach, Virginia
.
[23]
[24]
- 2951 ? On display at the
Kalamazoo Aviation History Museum
in
Kalamazoo, Michigan
.
[25]
[26]
- 2959 ? On display at the
USS Lexington Museum
in
Corpus Christi, Texas
.
[27]
[28]
- 3022 ? On display at the
National Air and Space Museum
's Udvar Hazy Center in
Chantilly, Virginia
.
[29]
[30]
- 3033 ? Airworthy with Ag Air Squadron Three, LLC in Grant Park, Illinois.
- 3046 ? On display at the National Museum of Naval Aviation in Pensacola, Florida.
[31]
[32]
- 4402 - Airworthy with Joe McBryan (Buffalo Airways) in
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
.
[33]
- 4406 ? Airworthy with Bernie Air Services in
Sandown, Isle of Wight
.
[34]
[
failed verification
]
- 4480 ? On display at the Yanks Air Museum in Chino, California.
[35]
[36]
- 4497 ? On display at the
Pima Air & Space Museum
in
Tucson, Arizona
.
[37]
[38]
Specifications (N3N-3)
[
edit
]
3-view line drawing of the Naval Aircraft Factory N3N-3
Data from
Holmes, 2005. p. 96.
General characteristics
- Crew:
2
- Length:
25 ft 6 in (7.77 m)
- Wingspan:
34 ft 0 in (10.36 m)
- Height:
10 ft 10 in (3.3 m)
- Wing area:
305 sq ft (28.3 m
2
)
- Empty weight:
2,090 lb (948 kg)
- Gross weight:
2,792 lb (1,266 kg)
- Powerplant:
1 ×
Wright R-760
-2 Whirlwind radial , 235 hp (175 kW)
Performance
- Maximum speed:
126 mph (203 km/h, 109 kn)
- Range:
470 mi (756 km, 410 nmi)
- Service ceiling:
15,200 ft (4,635 m)
- Rate of climb:
900 ft/min (4.6 m/s)
Communications were done by the instructor through a
speaking tube
to the student in the front cockpit. Communications back were agreed-upon gestures.
[39]
See also
[
edit
]
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
References
[
edit
]
Citations
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
c
d
Holmes, 2005. p. 98.
- ^
Gene Smith (February 1989). "A Dream of Wings".
Air Progress
.
- ^
a
b
c
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
.
- ^
"Military Aircraft, Trainers"
. Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum
. Retrieved
25 October
2020
.
- ^
Bailey, Stewart (2009).
"N3N-3 Yellow Peril Joins the Museum Collection"
(PDF)
. Evergreen Museum
. Retrieved
25 October
2020
.
- ^
"Airframe Dossier - Naval Aircraft Factory N3N-1, s/n 500 FACh, c/n 0719, c/r CC-DME"
.
Aerial Visuals
. Retrieved
28 September
2022
.
- ^
"
"YELLOW PERIL"
"
.
Warhawk Air Museum
. Retrieved
13 August
2016
.
- ^
"Airframe Dossier - Naval Aircraft Factory N3N-3, s/n 1918 USN, c/r N45305"
.
Aerial Visuals
. AerialVisuals.ca
. Retrieved
13 August
2016
.
- ^
"Naval Aircraft Factory N3N-3"
.
Western Antique Aeroplane and Automobile Museum
. WAAAM
. Retrieved
13 August
2016
.
- ^
"Airframe Dossier - Naval Aircraft Factory N3N-3, c/n 2582, c/r N45042"
.
Aerial Visuals
. AerialVisuals.ca
. Retrieved
13 August
2016
.
- ^
"Naval Aircraft Factory N3N-3"
.
Yanks Air Museum
. Yanks Air Museum. Archived from
the original
on 29 June 2016
. Retrieved
13 August
2016
.
- ^
"Airframe Dossier - Naval Aircraft Factory N3N-3, c/r N44757"
.
Aerial Visuals
. AerialVisuals.ca
. Retrieved
13 August
2016
.
- ^
"N3N "YELLOW PERIL" (FLOATPLANE)"
.
National Naval Aviation Museum
. Naval Aviation Museum Foundation
. Retrieved
13 August
2016
.
- ^
"Airframe Dossier - Naval Aircraft Factory N3N-3, s/n 2693 USN"
.
Aerial Visuals
. AerialVisuals.ca
. Retrieved
13 August
2016
.
- ^
"N3N High Sierra Squadron"
.
Commemorative Air Force
. Retrieved
28 September
2022
.
- ^
"FAA Registry [N4009A]"
.
Federal Aviation Administration
. U.S. Department of Transportation
. Retrieved
28 September
2022
.
- ^
Rambow, Bill.
"Naval Aircraft Factory N3N-3 "Yellow Peril"
"
.
Mid-Atlantic Air Museum
. Avialantic
. Retrieved
13 August
2016
.
- ^
"Airframe Dossier - Naval Aircraft Factory N3N-3, s/n 02782 USN, c/r N44718"
.
Aerial Visuals
. AerialVisuals.ca
. Retrieved
13 August
2016
.
- ^
"Naval Aircraft Factory N3N-3"
.
Yanks Air Museum
. Yanks Air Museum. Archived from
the original
on 29 June 2016
. Retrieved
13 August
2016
.
- ^
"Airframe Dossier - Naval Aircraft Factory N3N-3, s/n 02827 USN, c/r N45280"
.
Aerial Visuals
. AerialVisuals.ca
. Retrieved
13 August
2016
.
- ^
"Military Aircraft"
.
Evergreen Museum Campus
. Evergreen Museum
. Retrieved
13 August
2016
.
- ^
"Airframe Dossier - Naval Aircraft Factory N3N-3, s/n 02831 USN, c/r N3NN"
.
Aerial Visuals
. AerialVisuals.ca
. Retrieved
13 August
2016
.
- ^
"Navy Hangar"
.
Military Aviation Museum
. Military Aviation Museum
. Retrieved
13 August
2016
.
- ^
"Airframe Dossier - Naval Aircraft Factory N3N-3, s/n 02892 USN, c/r N120BH"
.
Aerial Visuals
. AerialVisuals.ca
. Retrieved
13 August
2016
.
- ^
"Naval Aircraft Factory Yellow Peril"
.
Air Zoo
. Air Zoo
. Retrieved
13 August
2016
.
- ^
"Airframe Dossier - Naval Aircraft Factory N3N-3, s/n 2951 USN, c/r N9308Z"
.
Aerial Visuals
. AerialVisuals.ca
. Retrieved
13 August
2016
.
- ^
"N3N YELLOW PERIL"
.
USS Lexington
. USS LEXINGTON Museum On The Bay
. Retrieved
13 August
2016
.
- ^
"Airframe Dossier - Naval Aircraft Factory N3N-3, s/n 02959 USN, c/r N6358T"
.
Aerial Visuals
. AerialVisuals.ca
. Retrieved
13 August
2016
.
- ^
"Naval Aircraft Factory N3N"
.
Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
. Retrieved
13 August
2016
.
- ^
"Airframe Dossier - Naval Aircraft Factory N3N-3, s/n 03022 USN"
.
Aerial Visuals
. AerialVisuals.ca
. Retrieved
13 August
2016
.
- ^
"N3N "YELLOW PERIL" (CONVENTIONAL GEAR)"
.
National Naval Aviation Museum
. Naval Aviation Museum Foundation
. Retrieved
13 August
2016
.
- ^
"Airframe Dossier - Naval Aircraft Factory N3N-3, s/n 3046 USN"
.
Aerial Visuals
. AerialVisuals.ca
. Retrieved
13 August
2016
.
- ^
"Airframe Dossier - Naval Aircraft Factory N3N-3, c/r CF-HUS"
.
Aerial Visuals
. Retrieved
20 December
2022
.
- ^
"Airframe Dossier - Naval Aircraft Factory N3N-3, c/r G-ONAF"
.
Aerial Visuals
. Retrieved
28 September
2022
.
- ^
"Naval Aircraft Factory N3N-3"
.
Yanks Air Museum
. Yanks Air Museum. Archived from
the original
on 29 June 2016
. Retrieved
13 August
2016
.
- ^
"Airframe Dossier - Naval Aircraft Factory N3N-3, s/n 04480 USN, c/r N695M"
.
Aerial Visuals
. AerialVisuals.ca
. Retrieved
13 August
2016
.
- ^
"YELLOW PERIL"
.
Pima Air & Space Museum
. Pimaair.org
. Retrieved
13 August
2016
.
- ^
"Airframe Dossier - Naval Aircraft Factory N3N-3, s/n 04497 USN, c/r N45084"
.
Aerial Visuals
. AerialVisuals.ca
. Retrieved
13 August
2016
.
- ^
"National Naval Aviation Museum - Online Exhibits"
. Archived from
the original
on 2011-10-02
. Retrieved
2011-07-09
.
Bibliography
[
edit
]
- Ford, Daniel (September?October 1999). "Sought After Classic: N3N-3 Canary ? Often Misidentified, Always Loved!".
Air Enthusiast
(83): 68?71.
ISSN
0143-5450
.
- Holmes, Tony (2005).
Jane's Vintage Aircraft Recognition Guide
. London: Harper Collins.
ISBN
0-00-719292-4
.
- Sapienza, Antonio Luis (May 2001). "L'aviation militare paraguayenne durant la seconde guerre mondiale" [Paraguayan Military Aviation During the Second World War].
Avions: Toute l'Aeronautique et son histoire
(in French) (98): 30?33.
ISSN
1243-8650
.
External links
[
edit
]
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Fighters
| |
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| |
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| |
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| |
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| |
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Drones
| |
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Other types
| |
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| |
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NSWC
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| |
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USN
/
USMC
trainer aircraft designations pre?1962
|
---|
N-series
(1922?1948)
| |
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T-series
(1948?1962)
| |
---|
- 1
Not assigned
- 2
Assigned to a different manufacturer's type
|