Forgotten Aircraft - Northrop N-3PB Seaplane

The Northrop N-3PB was a sleek single engine low wing float plane with a crew of three. The Royal Norwegian Navy Air Service was the only customer of the type. Norway was in need of a replacement for the Naval Air Service's MF-11 biplane patrol aircraft and ordered 24 aircraft on 12 March 1940.

The Northrop N-3PB was the first aircraft designed by the newly formed Northrop Aircraft, Inc. that was actually produced by that company. The three-place, single-engine, cantilevered low-wing monoplane patrol bomber had two floats attached by full cantilever pedestals to the left and right wings.

Within the short span of eight months following the order, the first production aircraft rolled off the Northrop assembly line. The first flight test took place on 1 November 1940 at Lake Elsinore, California. The Northrop N-3PB was soon identified as the world's fastest military sea plane (at that time). In May of 1941 eighteen N-3PBs arrived in Reykjavik, Iceland. Twelve of these aircraft were immediately assigned to Norwegian 330 Squadron (based in Iceland). During the war, one of the N-3PBs (No. 320 -"U") was lost on a ferry flight while crash-landing on a frozen river in Iceland. In the spring of 1943, the squadron moved to Scotland. Here they were re-equipped with the Short Sunderland flyingboats. During April and May of 1943, a number of N-3PBs were transferred from Akurairy and Budareiry to Reykjavik to be scrapped. On April 21, 1943, N-3PB No. 320 -"U", took off from Budareiry to Reykjavik. The pilot onboard was Wsewolod Bulukin and the wireless operator was Leif Rustad. On route to Reykjavik, the crew encountered heavy snow-showers. They were forced to land on the glacier river Thjorsa. The aircraft was wrecked during the landing. Fortunately, both crew members swam ashore to safety, and were able to get back to their squadron within a few days. Meanwhile, back in the river, the N-3PB sank down into mud and water.

Thirty-six years later the aircraft was recovered, and in November 1979, the wreck was flown to the Northrop Aircraft Division plant at Hawthorne, California to be fully restored. A year later, on November 10th, 1980, the only remaining example of the Northrop N-3PB was rolled out, following a complete restoration by volunteers of the The Western Museum of Flight. After restoration, the N-3PB was donated to Norway, and is currently on display in Oslo, Norway.

General characteristics
Crew: Three (pilot, navigator & wireless operator)
Length: 38 ft (11.58 m)
Wingspan: 48 ft 11 in (14.91 m)
Height: 12 ft (3.66 m)
Wing area: 376.8 ft² (34.93 m²)
Empty weight: 6,190 lb (2,808 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 10,600 lb (4,808 kg)
Powerplant: 1× Wright Cyclone air-cooled radial engine, 1,200 hp (895 kW)
Performance
Maximum speed: 223 knots (257 mph, 414 km/h)
Cruise speed: 186 knots (215 mph, 348 km/h)
Range: 869 nm (1,000 mi, 1,609 km)
Service ceiling: 28,400 ft (7,392 m)
Armament
4 × .50 in machine guns
2 × .30 in machine guns
1 × 2,000 lb torpedo or equivalent weight of bombs

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Northrop
• N-3PB
• Seaplane
• Royal
• Norwegian
• Navy
• Air
• Service
• RNNAS
• RAF
• Squadron
• 330

[dynmicpara]

Why did we buy the 175 mph, 2 x 7.62mm medium machine gun, 900 mile range Kingfisher in 1937 and not the faster, better armed N-3PB? Open-sea landing single floats were possible. Why were N-3PBs not supplied to British CAM ships to ward off Fw200 patrol bombers since they could land and be reused unlike Hurricats that ditched?

[Bomberguy]

Had the advantage of being able to drop ordnance from between the floats too

[dynmicpara]

Ooops! You are wrong. The Curtis SeaHawk Seaplane prop-driven fighter at 313 mph was faster. You should correct your video.

[Bomberguy]

Sorry, I should have said at the time it first flew it was the fastest military seaplane ever built. Good catch. I'm not changing the video but will make a note in the text.

Thanks

[lifter225]

Hi Bomberguy, thank you for the video.

I was a kid in 1979 when the plane was recovered from Thjorsa river. Most of my family took part in the mission. When the wreckage emerged I thought impossible this would ever resemble an aircraft. But it did and my dad and one of my brothers were in LA for the rollout.

The side scan image you have is of another wreck, lying just outside the operation area in Reykjavik. The Icelandic Coast Guard discovered it few years back and say it is a war grave.

[granskare]

great video, not only an unknwn plane but glenn miller along with!

[scifyjunkie]

great video, i never knew this airplane existed, how about a nice video on kaiser fleetwings?

[5bisley]

Really enjoyed this video, not only because of the rare aircraft, but to hear Ray McKinley get down on the drums! 

[animalian01]

mr gene kruper drumming up a storm

[SenorSpode]

Excellent video! Back around 2004 or so, a second N-3PB was located in the bay near Reykjavik in 40 feet of water. The plane had flipped on landing, the floats were ripped off and lay next to the inverted plane below. The crew was still in the plane, as were the guns and the live depthcharge. I have not seen anything emerge from this discovery as of yet.

[chucksfc]

The japanese Zero seaplane (RUFE) had a max speed of 270mph. The spitfire floatplane (limited production) went 377 mph - where are you pulling this fastest ever business from?

[mrmwilford]

the c.a.m ships were not fitted with recovery gear so they could not pick up any aircraft, the hurricat was an obsolescent mk1 hurri, also with conditions prevailing in the north Atlantic it was very unlikely that a floatplane could successfully land........hope this helps

[Eirik36]

it looks to much like the zero

[SketchUp707]

Underwater salvaging is awesome! Man it would be spooky to see the plane when it was a wreck on the riverbed.

[snooppupc130jrketmas]

i saw this in a book my dad got me!!!!!!!

[tomregit]

Great footage! I'm building a model of this aircraft and this was very helpful because of the great views of the beaching trolley being attached.  Thanks for posting.