Northrop BT

BT-1
275px
Type	Dive bomber
Manufacturer	Northrop
Designed by	Ed Heinemann
Maiden flight	19 August 1935
Primary user	U.S. Navy
Number built	55
Variants	SBD Dauntless

The Northrop BT was a two seat, single engine, monoplane, dive bomber built by the Northrop Corporation for the US Navy. At the time Northrop was a subsidiary of the Douglas Aircraft Company. The design of the initial version began in 1935. A 700 hp Pratt and Whitney XR-1535-66 Twin Wasp Jr. double row, radial air-cooled engine powered the aircraft. The aircraft had slotted flaps and a landing gear that partially retracted.

The next iteration of the BT, designated the XBT-1 was equipped with a 750 hp R-1535 engine. This aircraft was followed in 1936 by the BT-1 that was powered by an 825 hp Pratt and Whitney R-1535-94 engine. One of the BT-1 aircraft was modified with a fixed tricycle landing gear and was the first such aircraft to land on an aircraft carrier.

The next version, the XBT-2, was a BT-1 aircraft modified to incorporate a fully retracting landing gear, wing slots, a re-designed canopy, and was powered by an 800 hp Wright XR-1820-32 radial air-cooled engine. The XBT-2 first flew on 25 April 1938 and became the prototype for the Douglas SBD-1.

Specifications (BT-1)

General characteristics

• Crew: two: pilot, gunner
• Length: 9.5 m (31 ft 3 in)
• Wingspan: 12.7 m (41 ft 6 in)
• Height: 3.81 m (12.5 ft )
• Wing area: 29.63 m² (134.5 sq ft)
• Empty: 2029 kg (4464 lb)
• Maximum takeoff: 3209 kg (7060 lb)
• Powerplant: one, Pratt and Whitney R-1535-94 Twin Wasp Jr. double row radial air-cooled engine, 615 kW (825 hp)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 357 km/h (222 mph)
• Cruise speed: 309 km/h (192 mph)
• Range: 1,850 km (2,979 miles)
• Service ceiling: 7,710 m (25,300 ft)
• Rate of climb: m/min (ft/min)
• Wing loading: kg/m² ( lb/ft²)
• Power/mass:

Armament

• one 12.7 mm machine gun
• one 7.62 mm machine gun
• 454 kg (1,000 lb) bombs on external wing racks

References

• VectorSite: The Douglas SBD Dauntless & Curtiss SB2C Helldiver

Related content

Related development

• SBD Dauntless

Comparable aircraft

• Seversky P-35
• Aichi D3A

Designation sequence
BT - B2T Related lists

• List of military aircraft of the United States (naval)

See also

Northrop aircraft

Fighters: FT · XP-56 · P-61 · F2T · XP-79 · F-89 · F-5 · CF-116 · YF-17 · F-18L · F-20 · YF-23

Attack: YA-13 · XA-16 · A-17 · BT · SBT · YA-9 - Bombers: YB-35 · B2T · YB-49 · B-62 · B-2

Transports: Alpha · C-19 · Beta · C-100 Gamma · RT Delta · YC-125

Reconnaissance: F-15 · RF-5 · TR-3 - Trainers: T-38

Experimental: N-1M · N-9M · MX-324 · X-4 · M2-F2 · M2-F3 · HL-10 · Tacit Blue · X-21