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| Description | |||
| Manufacturer: | Northrop | ||
| Designation: | A-9 | ||
| Version: | A | ||
| Type: | Attack Bomber (Light) | ||
| Specifications | |||
| Length: | 53' 6" | 16.31 M | |
| Height: | 17' 10" | 5.44 M | |
| Wingspan: | 57' | 17.37 M | |
| Propulsion | |||
| No. of Engines: | 2 | ||
| Powerplant: | Avco/Lycoming ALF-502 | ||
| Thrust (each): | 6000 | 2721 | |
| Performance | |||
The A-9 was designed by Northrop as a competitor for the ground attack aircraft competition for the Air Force in the mid 1970's. It was designed to provide extremely stable platform for bombing accuracy. It was also designed to be extremely durable and rugged since most of its flight time was to be spent close to the ground, in range of enemy guns. The twelve underwing pylons could carry almost all arms in Air Force inventory. All flight control systems were backed up by identical systems and all vital areas were protected with aluminum alloy armor of 1.25 to 2.5 inches. The competitor in the competition, and the aircraft chosen for production, was the A-10 Warthog, which gained fame in the Persian Gulf War as a tank killer. The A-9 was a very capable aircraft and it is curious that the Russian Su-25 Frogfoot ground attack aircraft looks very similar??
The two A-9A prototypes built had serial numbers 71-1367 and 71-1368. Both were designed and built for the AX Fly-Off Competition with the Fairchild Republic YA-10A "Thunderbolt II" (the two YA-10A prototype aircraft built were serial numbers 71-1369 & 71-1370), at the Air Force Flight Test Center at Edwards AFB, California. The first actual flight of the A-9A was on May 30th 1972, but the fly-off competition started on October 10th and concluded on December 9th, 1972. The AX Fly-Off was intended to identify the differences between the two aircraft in performance. The two aircraft were equally accurate in weapons delivery and in the gun tests. The gun that was supposed to be used for the fly-off was the General Electric GAU-8 "Avenger" 30mm cannon, but it was not ready in time to be used/tested for the fly-off. So a 20mm "Vulcan" cannon was used for the actual testing in both of the aircraft. A-9As 1367 & 1368 completed 123 flights, totaling 146.0 flight hours between the both of them. The two prototype YA-10As completed 87 flights totaling 138.5 flight hours. The YA-10A was selected the winner of the AX Fly-Off. After the fly-off was completed, the U. S. Air Force had no more use or interest in either of the two A-9As; they were transferred over to the NASA Dryden Research Center for flight testing before being completely retired from service.
The museum's YA-9A, s/n 71-1368, was manufactured by Northrop Aviation, in Hawthorn CA and gained by the U.S. Air Force on October 9th 1972.
October 10th 1972 --- To the Air Force Flight Test Center (AF Systems Command), Edwards AFB CA.
April 2nd 1973 --- Dropped from U.S. Air Force service inventory by transfer to Another Government Agency.
Only two YA-9A's exist today. Our YA-9A and a second one at the Castle Air Museum in Atwater, CA. The March Field Museum received this YA-9A in 1981 from the NASA Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, Ca. This aircraft is on loan from the USAF.
Below is an additional listing of specifications:
Military Specifications For the A-9A Prototype
Manufacturer: Northrop Aviation
Country: United States
Branch of Service: United States Air Force
Designation: A-9
Variant: A
Aircraft Type: Attack Bomber (light)
Aircraft Type Made: 2 (s/n 71-1367 and s/n 71-1368)
Configuration: Single place, High Wing, Single Conventional Tail
Number of Power plants: 2
Power plant Types: Two Lycoming YF102LD100 Turbofan Engines
Thrust (Each Engine); 7500 lbs
Engine Height - Aft CL: 77.0 inches
Gearbox: Two - each with hydraulic pump, generator and engine start turbine
Engine CL Distance from Fuselage CL: 47.0 inches
Landing Gear: Tricycle gear - single wheel, each with direct acting oleo shock struts.
Nose Gear Steering: 30 degrees
Nose Gear Tire Size: 18x6. 5-8 12-ply rating
Nose Landing Gear Axle to Main Landing Gear Axle: 224.4 inches
Main Gear Tire Size: 32 x 8. 8-16 Type VII 24-ply rating
Main Landing Gear Span (Tire CL): 122.5 inches
Length (Less Boom): 642.0 inches
Overall Height: 203.0 inches
Horizontal Stabilizer Height & Root: 123.5 inches
Wing Height at CL: 83.0 inches
Fuselage Height (Ground to Bottom of Fuselage): 30.0 inches
Tail Height (ground to bottom of tail): 60.0 inches
Wing Span: 696.0 inches
Horizontal Tail Span: 326.95 inches
Aircraft Weights Prototype 1 Prototype 2
Design Gross Weight: 28,075 28,575
Gross Weight (maximum alternate): 41,795 41,795
Useful Load: 19,219 (Max) 18,719 (Max)
Weight Empty (dry, no liquids or guns) 20,254 20,754
Weight Empty (operable condition) 22,576 23,076
Center of Gravity Fus Sta %MAC Waterline
At Design Weight 382.5 32.6 108.5
Most Forward (gear up) 380.6 31.0 109.0
Most Aft (gear down) 389.1 38.0 106.5
Most Abrupt CG 382.5 32.6 108.5
Shift (gear up to to to to
gear down) 382.4 32.5 109.2
Wing Area (Total): 580 sq ft
Sweepback (at 25% chord): 3 degrees, 12 minutes
Incidence: 00.00 degrees
Dihedral: 00.00 degrees
Vertical Tail
Exposed Area: 98 sq feet
Sweepback (at 25% chord): 30 degrees, 29 minutes
Horizontal Tail
Flap Total Area (Fowler area): 88 sq feet
Flap Travel: 45 degrees
Aileron Area (each, aft of hinge): 22.7 sq feet
Aileron Travel: 30 degrees (up and down)
Speed Brake (split ailerons) area
Total (aft of hinge): 102 sq feet
Speed Brake Travel: 57 degrees up,
63 degrees down
Lift Dumper (upper flap surface)
Area Total: 98 sq feet Lift Dumper Travel: 60 degrees (up)
Elevation Area (aft of hinge - 70%): 42 sq feet
Elevation Travel: 25 degrees up,
15 degrees down
Rudder Area (aft of hinge): 31 sq feet
Rudder Travel: 30 degrees right to left
Fuel
Fuel Tanks Configuration: Internal - 5 each wing
Fuel Volume
Weight (Lb) Liquid Measure (Gal)
Total Capacity: 9750 1500
Left Wing 4875 750
Right Wing 4875 750
Pylons (2)-Total 3900 600
-Each 1950 300
NOTE
Pylon tank fuel feed is not available on the prototype aircraft.
Tanks can be installed (on pylons 4 and 7) for aerodynamic Tests only.
Weight (Lb) Liquid Measure (Gal)
Usable Fuel-Total 9074 1396
Basic Mission Fuel
(3 tanks each wing) 5368 866
Auxiliary Power Unit
(APU) fuel (estimated
allocation) 100 15.4
Armament
Automatic Gun (1), Six Barrel,
Fuselage Mounted, Model M-61A1
Total Capacity: 635 rounds
Rate of Fire: 4,000 rounds/minute
Bursts Shots: 60
Overall Weight-Loaded: 1,065 lb
-Empty: 708 lb
Gun & Feed Drive System: Hydraulic
Overall Gun Width: 22 inches
Overall Gun Height: 45 inches
Overall Gun Length: 72 inches
Radio Frequency Channels: 126+
