# Northrop

> 1939–1994 aerospace manufacturer in the United States

**Wikidata**: [Q912979](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q912979)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northrop_Corporation)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/northrop

## Summary

Northrop Corporation was an American aerospace manufacturer that operated from 1939 to 1994. The company designed and produced a wide range of military aircraft, including fighters, bombers, trainers, and experimental prototypes, and was succeeded by Northrop Grumman Corporation upon its dissolution.

## Key Facts

- Northrop Corporation was an aerospace manufacturer founded in 1939 in the United States.
- The company ceased to exist in 1994.
- Northrop Grumman Corporation succeeded Northrop in 1994.
- Northrop developed numerous fighter aircraft, including the F-5 (1959), F-89 Scorpion (1948), YF-17 Cobra (1974), and the YF-23 prototype for the Advanced Tactical Fighter program.
- The company manufactured bomber aircraft such as the YB-35, YB-49 (1947), and the B-2 Spirit.
- Northrop produced the P-61 Black Widow (1942), a night fighter aircraft family.
- The company created the T-38 Talon military trainer aircraft family.
- Northrop built the F-15 Reporter, a 1945 reconnaissance aircraft series.
- The company developed the YA-9 prototype attack aircraft for the US Air Force A-X program.
- Northrop designed several experimental and prototype aircraft, including the XP-56 Black Bullet, XP-79 flying wing fighter, X-4 Bantam, N-1M flying wing, and N-9M.
- The company produced lifting body prototypes such as the HL-10 and the M2-F3, the latter rebuilt from the crashed M2-F2.
- Northrop manufactured the Alpha (1930), Gamma (1932), and Delta (1933) transport aircraft families.
- The company developed missiles including the SM-62 Snark, AGM-136 Tacit Rainbow, and GAM-67 Crossbow.
- Northrop produced target drones and supersonic drones, including the AQM-35 and AQM-38.
- The Northrop BT was a 1935 bomber aircraft family.
- The Northrop XFT was a 1933 prototype fighter aircraft series.
- The Northrop F-20 Tigershark was a prototype fighter aircraft.
- The Northrop A-17 was an attack aircraft series.
- The Northrop N-102 Fang was a type of aircraft developed by the company.

## FAQs

**What happened to Northrop Corporation?**
Northrop Corporation was dissolved in 1994 and succeeded by Northrop Grumman Corporation, an American aerospace and defense technology corporation.

**What fighter aircraft did Northrop produce?**
Northrop developed a broad range of fighter aircraft spanning decades, including the F-5 (1959), F-89 Scorpion (1948), YF-17 Cobra (1974), P-61 Black Widow (1942), F-20 Tigershark, YF-23, XP-56 Black Bullet, XP-79, and the XFT prototype series from 1933.

**What bomber aircraft were made by Northrop?**
The company manufactured several bomber aircraft, including the YB-35 prototype, the YB-49 (1947), the BT (1935), and the B-2 Spirit bomber family.

**What experimental and research aircraft did Northrop build?**
Northrop built numerous experimental aircraft, such as the N-1M and N-9M flying wings, the X-4 Bantam, the HL-10 and M2-F3 lifting body prototypes, the N-102 Fang, and the AQM-35 supersonic drone.

**What missiles did Northrop develop?**
Northrop developed the SM-62 Snark missile, the AGM-136 Tacit Rainbow anti-radiation missile program, and the GAM-67 Crossbow missile.

## Why It Matters

Northrop Corporation played a significant role in American military aviation for over five decades, producing aircraft that served in multiple roles from fighters and bombers to trainers and reconnaissance platforms. The company's innovations in flying wing design, exemplified by the N-1M, YB-35, YB-49, and ultimately the B-2 Spirit, represented a sustained engineering effort that advanced aerodynamic concepts from experimental prototypes to operational stealth bombers. Northrop's products equipped US and allied air forces across the Cold War era, and several designs, such as the T-38 Talon trainer and the F-5 fighter family, saw widespread international service. The company's legacy continues through Northrop Grumman, which absorbed Northrop in 1994 and became a major aerospace and defense technology corporation.

## Notable For

- Pioneering flying wing aircraft design through multiple decades, from the N-1M experimental aircraft to the operational B-2 Spirit stealth bomber.
- Manufacturing the P-61 Black Widow, a dedicated night fighter introduced in 1942.
- Producing the F-5 fighter aircraft family, which entered service in 1959 and was widely exported.
- Developing the T-38 Talon, a military trainer aircraft family used extensively by the US military.
- Building the YF-23, a prototype fighter for the US Air Force Advanced Tactical Fighter program.
- Creating the YA-9 prototype for the US Air Force A-X attack aircraft program.
- Constructing the F-89 Scorpion interceptor aircraft family, introduced in 1948.
- Designing and producing the HL-10 and M2-F3 lifting body prototypes, contributing to aerospace research.
- Developing the YB-35 and YB-49 prototype bomber aircraft, advancing tailless aircraft configurations.
- Manufacturing transport aircraft in the 1930s, including the Alpha, Gamma, and Delta families.
- Producing missiles such as the SM-62 Snark and the AGM-136 Tacit Rainbow.
- Serving as the predecessor to Northrop Grumman Corporation, a major defense contractor.

## Body

### History and Overview

Northrop Corporation was an American aerospace manufacturer active from 1939 to 1994. Over its 55-year history, the company designed, developed, and produced a diverse portfolio of military aircraft, missiles, drones, and experimental aerospace vehicles. The firm was dissolved in 1994 and succeeded by Northrop Grumman Corporation, an aerospace and defense technology company.

### Fighter Aircraft

Northrop designed and built fighter aircraft across multiple generations and roles. Early efforts included the XFT prototype fighter aircraft series from 1933 and the XP-56 Black Bullet, an experimental fighter interceptor. The company produced the P-61 Black Widow, a night fighter aircraft family introduced in 1942, and the F-89 Scorpion, an interceptor aircraft family that first flew in 1948.

One of Northrop's most successful fighter programs was the F-5 family, a fighter aircraft series introduced in 1959. The company also developed the F-20 Tigershark as a prototype fighter. In 1974, Northrop flew the YF-17 Cobra prototype fighter aircraft. The Northrop N-102 Fang represented another aircraft design effort by the company.

During the US Air Force Advanced Tactical Fighter program, Northrop developed the YF-23, a prototype fighter aircraft. The XP-79 was a prototype flying wing fighter aircraft.

### Bomber Aircraft

Northrop made significant contributions to bomber aircraft design. The company produced the BT bomber aircraft family in 1935. Flying wing bomber concepts were explored through the YB-35 prototype military bomber and the YB-49, a 1947 prototype bomber aircraft model. The culmination of Northrop's bomber work was the B-2 Spirit, a bomber aircraft family manufactured by the company.

### Attack Aircraft

In the attack aircraft role, Northrop developed the A-17 attack aircraft series. The company also created the YA-9, a prototype attack aircraft developed for the US Air Force A-X program.

### Trainer Aircraft

Northrop manufactured the T-38 Talon, a military trainer aircraft family that served as a key training platform.

### Reconnaissance Aircraft

The company produced the F-15 Reporter, a reconnaissance aircraft series introduced in 1945.

### Transport and Cargo Aircraft

During the 1930s, Northrop developed several transport and cargo aircraft. The Alpha was a 1930 transport aircraft family, followed by the Gamma, a 1932 cargo transport aircraft family, and the Delta, a 1933 transport monoplane family.

### Experimental and Research Aircraft

Northrop built a range of experimental and research vehicles. Flying wing designs included the N-1M, an American experimental flying wing, and the N-9M aircraft. The X-4 Bantam was another experimental airplane produced by the company.

In the area of lifting body research, Northrop developed the HL-10 lifting body prototype and the M2-F3, a lifting body prototype rebuilt from the crashed M2-F2.

### Missiles

Northrop's missile programs included the SM-62 Snark missile, the GAM-67 Crossbow missile, and the AGM-136 Tacit Rainbow, a United States military anti-radiation missile program.

### Drones

The company produced unmanned aerial vehicles, including the AQM-35, a supersonic drone, and the AQM-38, a target drone.

### Related Aircraft

The Harrier 1st Generation, a ground attack aircraft series by Hawker Siddeley (later British Aerospace), and the Vultee A-31 Vengeance, a 1941 attack aircraft family, appear among related entities in the Northrop knowledge base.

### Successor Organization

Northrop Corporation was succeeded by Northrop Grumman Corporation, an American aerospace and defense technology corporation established in 1994 and headquartered in the United States.

## References

1. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
2. United States Naval Aviation 1910-2010 Volume II Statistics