The 1943 XP-56 "Black Bullet"

Usage
 

Experimenta l

Fuselage Construction

Welded magnesium

Wing Construction
 

Welded magnesium

Capacity
 

Pilot
 

Motor type
 

One Pratt & Whitney R-2800-29
 Air-Cooled Double Wasp

Power
 

2000 HP
 

Span
 

43 ft 7 in (13.3 m)
 

Wing Area
 

306 ft2 (28.4 m2)
 

Aspect Ratio
 

6.21:1
 

Pilot position
 

Seated
 

Maximum speed
 

400 mph @ 25,000 ft
 
The XP-56, also known as the Black Bullet, was a tailless design, not a true flying wing. It featured vertical surfaces and a conventional cockpit/fuselage.

The XP-56 competed against the Consolidated-Vultee XP-54 and the Curtiss XP-55 Ascender, both of which were also pusher type designs, the Ascender also being one of the few canard designs of the war. All three planes were to use the same engine, the newly developed liquid- cooled Pratt & Whitney X-1800-A3G, but the cancellation of this engine project forced the developers to use alternate engines. Northrop chose the Pratt & Whitney R -2280-29 air-cooled Double Wasp.

The XP-56 had several unique features. It was the first all-magnesium, all welded airframe, it used contra-rotating propellers in a pusher configuration (guaranteed to dice an escaping pilot into little bits, so an explosive charge was installed to blow the entire aft portion of the airplane off during bailout), the second model used air-activated bellows rudders.

The first XP-56 made its maiden flight on September 6, 1943, and flew at an altitude of four feet and a speed of 140 mph. The flights of that first day revealed directional control deficiencies, due to the small amount of vertical surface. The upper vertical surface was increased in size, and flights resumed on October 8.

Near tragedy struck when, as pilot John Meyers phrased it, "The aircraft wanted to fly upside and backwards, and finally did!". This occurred while taxiing at high speed and having the left main tire blow out at approximately 130 mph. The plane somersaulted across the desert, during one flip, it actually rose to 75 feet above the desert floor, and the pilot was flung clear. Meyers was lucky and sustained only minor injuries.

The second XP-56 first flew from Roach Lake on March 23, 1944, reaching 2500 feet. It flew a total of 10 flights, during which stability and control problems were experienced.

Given the problems with the design, and the advent of the jet age, even John Northrop agreed that, "I think it was a bust."

The second XP-56 was sent to the National Air & Space Museum, and in 1982, it was transferred to the Northrop Corporation for future restoration.

In July 1997 I visited the Paul Garber facility at Silver Hill, and saw the XP-56 in storage.