Aircrafttotal Encyclopedia


Role	Transport aircraft
National origin	United States
Manufacturer	Northrop Corporation
First flight	1 August 1949
Introduction	1950
Retired	1955
Primary user	United States Air Force
Produced	1949–1950
Number built	23

Northrop's first postwar civil design was a three-engined STOL passenger and cargo transport named the Northrop N-23 Pioneer, which was intended to replace the Ford Trimotors of the Central American airline Transportes Aéreos Centro Americanos (TACA). The Pioneer could carry 36 passengers or cargo, with a cargo door and a "chin" hatch allowing the loading of 36 ft (11 m) lengths of pipes or timber into the aircraft's cabin. It first flew on 21 December 1946. The aircraft had good performance, resulting in an order of 40 aircraft from TACA, but political manoeuvring from Pan-Am after the shipping company Waterman Steamship Corporation purchased a major stake in TACA led to TACA losing rights to operate to or from the United States, which in turn caused TACA to cancel its order for the Pioneer. Despite extensive sales tours, no further orders were obtained.[1

The Northrop YC-125 Raider was a 1940s American three-engined STOL utility transport built by Northrop Corporation, Hawthorne, California.

Operators

United States: United States Air Force

Surviving aircraft

48-626 – YC-125B in storage at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio.
48-636 – YC-125A on static display at the Pima Air and Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona.

Northrop aircraft

McDonnell Douglas aircraft
Northrop Aerospace Northrop YC-125 Raider
First flight 1 August 1949 Introduction 1950 Retired 1955 Produced 1949–1950

General Info

Crew: 4 Capacity: 36 troops or 10,000 lb (4.54 t) cargo Length: 67 ft 1 in (20.45 m) Wingspan: 86 ft 6 in (26.37 m) Height: 23 ft 1 in (7.04 m)

Powerplant

- Powerplant: 3 × Wright R-1820-99 Cyclone 9-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine, 1,200 hp (890 kW) each
- Propellers: 3-bladed constant-speed propellers

Performance

Maximum speed: (333 km/h,
Cruise speed: 171 mph 275 km/h,
Range: (2,987 km, 1,613 nmi)
Service ceiling:(3,700 m)

Armament

As World War II wound down, Northrop looked for opportunities to expand its aviation products. At the time, various reports forecasted a need for a rugged, low-cost, transport aircraft to serve under-developed airfields for emerging commercial routes following World War II. To meet that need, Northrop designed and built the N-23 Pioneer transport at its own expense. The Pioneer was unlike any aircraft that Northrop had built.

Special Links Northrop Aerospace Northrop YC-125 Raider

Links to Youtube & Others

The Pioneer was engineered with remote field operations in mind. Common parts were used when possible; all three engine installations were identical, as were the vertical and horizontal stabilizers. The Pioneer was designed with large panels to allow easy access to critical parts for maintenance and repair.

Northrop
Northrop YC-125 Raider

The P-61 featured a crew of three: pilot, gunner, and radar operator. It was armed with four 20 mm (.79 in) Hispano M2 forward-firing cannon mounted in the lower fuselage, and four .50 in.

Youtube Link

The main fuselage, or gondola, was centered on the aircraft's centerline. It was, from the tip of the nose to the end of the Plexiglas tail-cone, approximately five-sixths the length of one wing (root to tip).

Northrop Aerospace
Northrop YC-125 Raider
First flight 1 August 1949

Northrop Aerospace
Northrop YC-125 Raider

.

History Northrop Aerospace Northrop YC-125 Raider
"Pioneer" First flight 1 August 1949 Introduction 1950
Retired 1955 Produced 1949–1950