Northrop N-3PB
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The Northrop N-3PB Nomad was a single-engined American
floatplane A floatplane is a type of seaplane with one or more slender floats mounted under the fuselage to provide buoyancy. By contrast, a flying boat uses its fuselage for buoyancy. Either type of seaplane may also have landing gear suitable for land, ...
of the 1940s. Northrop developed the N-3PB as an export model based on the earlier
Northrop A-17 The Northrop A-17, a development of the Northrop Gamma 2F model, was a two-seat, single-engine, monoplane, attack bomber built in 1935 by the Northrop Corporation for the United States Army Air Corps. When in British Commonwealth service during W ...
design. A total of 24 were purchased by Norway, but were not delivered until after the Fall of Norway during the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. Exiled Norwegian forces used them from 1941, operating from Iceland, for convoy escort, anti-submarine patrols, and training purposes from "
Little Norway Little Norway ( no, Lille Norge), officially (FTL, "Air Force Training Camp"), was a Norwegian Army Air Service/Royal Norwegian Air Force training camp in southern Ontario during the Second World War. Origins When Nazi Germany attacked Norway o ...
" in Canada. Within two years of delivery, the design was effectively obsolete in its combat role, and the remaining N-3PBs were replaced by larger aircraft in 1943.


Design and development

Following increased international tension surrounding the German annexation of the Sudetenland in 1938, the
Norwegian parliament The Storting ( no, Stortinget ) (lit. the Great Thing) is the supreme legislature of Norway, established in 1814 by the Constitution of Norway. It is located in Oslo. The unicameral parliament has 169 members and is elected every four years base ...
granted extraordinary appropriations to modernize the
Norwegian Armed Forces The Norwegian Armed Forces ( no, Forsvaret, , The Defence) is the military organization responsible for the defence of Norway. It consists of five branches, the Norwegian Army, the Royal Norwegian Navy, which includes the Coast Guard, the Royal ...
. The
Royal Norwegian Navy Air Service The Royal Norwegian Navy Air Service ( no, Marinens flyvevesen) was alongside the Norwegian Army Air Service the forerunner to the modern-day Royal Norwegian Air Force. History The RNNAS was established on 1 June 1912,Official Norwegian Defence ...
(RNNAS) and the
Norwegian Army Air Service The Norwegian Army Air Service (NoAAS) ( no, Hærens flyvåpen) was established in 1914.Official Norwegian Defence Force websiteHistory of the Royal Norwegian Air Force Its main base and aircraft factory was at Kjeller. On 10 November 1944, the ...
were prioritized for funds from the Norwegian Neutrality Fund. The RNNAS' share of the funds were designated to buy 12
Heinkel He 115 The Heinkel He 115 was a three-seat World War II ''Luftwaffe'' seaplane. It was used as a torpedo bomber and performed general seaplane duties, such as reconnaissance and minelaying. The aircraft was powered by two 960 PS (947 hp, 720&n ...
torpedo bombers and 24 reconnaissance aircraft, as well as several new naval air stations. The
Dornier Do 22 The Dornier Do 22 was a German seaplane, developed in the 1930s. Despite good performance, it was built only in small numbers and entirely for the export market. The type was operated in the Second World War by Finland, Greece and Yugoslavia. D ...
, Northrop 8-A, Northrop 2GP and Vultee V-11 GB were considered and proposals retrieved. The commission quickly decided the Vultee V-11 GB was the best aircraft to satisfy both air services' needs.Hafsten and Arheim 2003, p. 122. On the part of the Royal Norwegian Air Service, the requirements were for a reconnaissance aircraft with a range of , a top speed of no less than and a payload of a torpedo or the equivalent in bombs. On 30 December 1939,
Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...
sent a purchasing commission to the United States, consisting of a Royal Norwegian Navy Air Service contingent headed by Cmdr. Kristian Østby, and a Norwegian Army Air Service contingent led by
Birger Fredrik Motzfeldt Birger Fredrik Motzfeldt OBE, CVO (22 February 18983 September 1987) was a Norwegian aviator and military officer. During World War II he administered the development of the Royal Norwegian Air Force in exile in Great Britain. During the Cold ...
.March 1998, p. 187. The goal of the commission was to inspect the Vultee V-11, which would serve as a new common reconnaissance bomber for the two air services. Amongst the requirements the commission hoped to fill was replacing the Royal Norwegian Navy Air Service's M.F.11 biplane patrol aircraft.Ragnarsson 1981, p. 28. Once in the US, the commission found that Vultee would not be able to deliver the V-11 within a reasonable amount of time so another aircraft had to be found. Motzfeldt quickly found that the Douglas 8A-5N would satisfy the NOAAS' requirements. As the Douglas 8A-5N could not be fitted with floats, Østby continued to look for an aircraft suitable for the RNNAS. After visits to many of the aviation companies in February 1940, Østby determined that only one manufacturer had both a design and available production capacity, Northrop Aircraft Incorporated. The commission ordered 24 floatplanes based on the Model 8-A, renamed the N-3PB, "off the drawing board" (literally, the aircraft being ordered prior to the type having flown) from Northrop on 8 March 1940, at a total cost of to meet this requirement. Half the amount was paid shortly before the
German invasion of Norway German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...
on 9 April 1940. The Model 8-A, the export model of the Northrop Attack Bomber series was never intended to serve as the basis of a floatplane and had to be redesigned to meet the requirements of the Norwegian order. The new N-3PB was the first product of Northrop Aircraft, which had reformed in 1939, and was a low-winged
cantilever A cantilever is a rigid structural element that extends horizontally and is supported at only one end. Typically it extends from a flat vertical surface such as a wall, to which it must be firmly attached. Like other structural elements, a canti ...
monoplane fitted with twin floats. First intended for a lower powered engine, the N-3PB was ultimately powered by a
Wright Cyclone Wright Cyclone was the name given to a family of air-cooled radial piston engines designed by the Wright Aeronautical Corporation and used in numerous American aircraft in the 1930s and 1940s. Background The Wright Aeronautical Corporation was f ...
radial engine The radial engine is a reciprocating type internal combustion engine configuration in which the cylinders "radiate" outward from a central crankcase like the spokes of a wheel. It resembles a stylized star when viewed from the front, and is ca ...
, of the same type specified for the Douglas 8A-5N bombers and Curtiss Hawk 75A-8s ordered by Norway at the same time, simplifying the eventual maintenance and operation requirements for the entire Norwegian military aircraft fleets.Green 1962, pp. 185–186. With the Norwegian operation requirements drawn up for a coastal reconnaissance floatplane, a series of modifications were requested to the original design. The changes included a redesign of the float structure to accommodate either a torpedo or bomb load carried under the center fuselage to supplement five underwing bomb racks. Additional armament changes led to a combination of six machine guns replacing the four machine gun (two fixed forward, two flexible rear-mounted 7.9 mm)/one cannon (forward facing, fixed 20 mm) arrangement that was in the initial design. Provision for a rear under-fuselage gun was also made. Further equipment requirements including fitting a rear fuselage-mounted camera as well as changes to instrumentation and radio equipment.Ragnarsson 1981, pp. 28–29. Before Northrop could complete any aircraft, Norway was invaded by Germany. The invasion and occupation of Norway necessitated that the armament of the N-3PB, originally to be installed in Norway, had to be changed. Initial specifications listed one
Oerlikon 20 mm cannon The Oerlikon 20 mm cannon is a series of autocannons, based on an original German Becker Type M2 20 mm cannon design that appeared very early in World War I. It was widely produced by Oerlikon Contraves and others, with various models emplo ...
in each wing, as well as two 7.9 mm Fabrique Nationale machine guns each in both fuselage and rear gunner stations.Ragnarsson 1981, p. 29. Owing to the lack of availability of the originally specified armament, Norwegian-manufactured Colt heavy machine guns were substituted with four Colt MG53A .50 cal. machine guns in the wings and two .30 cal. Colt MG40s mounted in dorsal and ventral positions of the gunner's rear cockpit.


Operational history


Delivery

Northrop's Chief Test Pilot
Vance Breese Vance Breese (1904–1973) was an American Aeronautical engineer, aviation engineer and test pilot. Early years Vance Breese was born in Keystone, Washington, on April 20, 1904. His education, in his own words was: "various engineering extension ...
flew the first N-3PB (c/n 301) on 22 December 1940 from
Lake Elsinore, California Lake Elsinore is a city in western Riverside County, California, United States. Established as a city in 1888, it is on the shore of Lake Elsinore, a natural freshwater lake about in size. The city has grown from a small resort town in the l ...
. The flight test and customer acceptance trials were successfully completed using the first production aircraft. Due to the use of the more powerful Cyclone engine, all performance estimates were exceeded and flight characteristics including maneuverability were considered "excellent." All 24 aircraft were delivered to the exiled Royal Norwegian Navy Air Service by the end of March 1941.Green 1962, p. 186.


Training

In late February 1941, six production N-3PBs were flown to
RCAF The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environme ...
Station
Patricia Bay Patricia Bay ("Pat Bay" to locals) is a body of salt water that extends east from Saanich Inlet and forms part of the shoreline of North Saanich, British Columbia. It lies due west of Victoria International Airport. A municipal park covers most of ...
,
Vancouver Island Vancouver Island is an island in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and part of the Canadian Provinces and territories of Canada, province of British Columbia. The island is in length, in width at its widest point, and in total area, while are o ...
in Canada, one of the Canadian winter bases of the ''Flyvåpnenes Treningsleir'' (FTL) Norwegian training bases known as "
Little Norway Little Norway ( no, Lille Norge), officially (FTL, "Air Force Training Camp"), was a Norwegian Army Air Service/Royal Norwegian Air Force training camp in southern Ontario during the Second World War. Origins When Nazi Germany attacked Norway o ...
".Ragnarsson 1981, p. 34. The N-3PB's service as an advanced trainer in Canada in the "Little Norway" summer base at Island Harbour,
Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
and winter bases along the western coast of Canada, was relatively brief and ended when it was determined that pilot and air crew graduates were to be integrated into RAF squadrons. Arrangements were made later in 1941 for the advanced flight training of Norwegian pilots to be carried out in RAF and
Royal Canadian Air Force The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environm ...
schools on types that better fit the transition to combat flying. Consequently, the three surviving N-3PBs were stored until shipped to Iceland in March 1942 on the steamer .Hafsten and Arheim 2003, p. 166.


Combat use

The remaining 18 N-3PBs were used to equip No. 330 (Norwegian) Squadron RAF in
Reykjavík Reykjavík ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Iceland. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói bay. Its latitude is 64°08' N, making it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. With a po ...
,
Iceland Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...
. The N-3PBs sent to Iceland were all shipped across the Atlantic in crates on board the Norwegian steamer , the voyage from New York to Reykjavik taking 13 days to complete. Part of the reason for deploying the N-3PBs to Iceland were to avoid having the unusual aircraft operating over the United Kingdom, with the involved risk of friendly fire incidents. The exiled Norwegian military authorities had originally wanted to base the squadron in the United Kingdom in order to be able to operate off German-occupied Norway. No. 330(N) Squadron was declared operational on 25 April 1941; the N-3PBs were erected in a seaplane hangar at Reykjavik, with the first aircraft flying by 2 June 1941. The squadron flew antisubmarine and
convoy A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support and can help maintain cohesion within a unit. It may also be used ...
escort patrols from 23 June 1941, with flights based at Reykjavík,
Akureyri Akureyri (, locally ) is a town in northern Iceland. It is Iceland's fifth-largest municipality, after Reykjavík, Hafnarfjörður, Reykjanesbær and Kópavogur, and the largest town outside Iceland's more populated southwest corner. Nicknamed ...
and Búðareyri. While the squadron's N-3PBs carried out eight attacks on German
U-boat U-boats were naval submarines operated by Germany, particularly in the First and Second World Wars. Although at times they were efficient fleet weapons against enemy naval warships, they were most effectively used in an economic warfare role ...
s, including one on ''U-570'' after it had surrendered to the British,Blair 2000, p. 344. no U-boats were sunk. On a number of occasions in 1942, the N-3PBs clashed with
Focke-Wulf Fw 200 The Focke-Wulf Fw 200 ''Condor'', also known as ''Kurier'' to the Allies (English language, English: Courier), was a Nazi Germany, German all-metal four-engined monoplane originally developed by Focke-Wulf as a long-range airliner. A Japanese req ...
long range reconnaissance bombers and
Blohm & Voss BV 138 The Blohm & Voss BV 138 ''Seedrache'' (Sea Dragon), but nicknamed ''Der Fliegende Holzschuh'' ("flying clog",Nowarra 1997, original German title of the Schiffer book. from the side-view shape of its fuselage, as well as a play on the title of th ...
flying boats, being credited with at least one damaged. On 10 October 1942, a "Northrop" from Búðareyri was involved in a friendly fire incident, attacking a British
Lockheed Hudson The Lockheed Hudson is a light bomber and coastal reconnaissance aircraft built by the American Lockheed Aircraft Corporation. It was initially put into service by the Royal Air Force shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War and prim ...
. The incident ended without any of the aircraft involved being hit. In an effort to publicize the N-3PB operations, the British
Air Ministry The Air Ministry was a department of the Government of the United Kingdom with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964. It was under the political authority of the Secretary of State ...
circulated a report that two Norwegian-flown aircraft had been involved in the attack on the German battleship ''Bismarck'' on 21–22 May 1941, but it was merely an example of wartime propaganda. Despite many aviation historians disputing the claim, it still appears in current accounts of the sinking of the ''Bismarck''.Ragnarsson 1981, p. 33. No. 330(N) was formed on 25 April 1941 and received its first of 18 N-3PBs on 19 May, two days before the attack on the Bismark but didn't fly until 2 June 1941 and their first official operational flight wasn't until 23 June 1941.No. 330 Squadron (RAF): Second World War
accessdate: June 2014
No. 330(N) Squadron began supplementing the N-3PBs with
Consolidated Catalina The Consolidated PBY Catalina is a flying boat and amphibious aircraft that was produced in the 1930s and 1940s. In Canadian service it was known as the Canso. It was one of the most widely used seaplanes of World War II. Catalinas served wit ...
flying boat A flying boat is a type of fixed-winged seaplane with a hull, allowing it to land on water. It differs from a floatplane in that a flying boat's fuselage is purpose-designed for floatation and contains a hull, while floatplanes rely on fusela ...
s in 1942, and both the Catalina and the N-3PB began to be displaced in February 1943 by the arrival of the more capable
Short Sunderland The Short S.25 Sunderland is a British flying boat patrol bomber, developed and constructed by Short Brothers for the Royal Air Force (RAF). The aircraft took its service name from the town (latterly, city) and port of Sunderland in North East ...
. Flying boats allowed for longer patrols to be carried out, and had superior seakeeping qualities to the N-3PB. The surviving N-3PBs continued to operate alongside the Catalinas, flying fighter patrol, escort and antisubmarine operations off Iceland's east coast until early 1943.Ragnarsson 1981, p. 50. Throughout the transition to other types, the squadron's C-Flight maintained an "all-Northrop" unit, predominately involved in secondary roles including army cooperation, transport, air-sea rescue, ice reconnaissance and ambulance roles. In early 1943, No. 330(N)'s crews relocated to
Oban Oban ( ; ' in Scottish Gaelic meaning ''The Little Bay'') is a resort town within the Argyll and Bute council area of Scotland. Despite its small size, it is the largest town between Helensburgh and Fort William. During the tourist season, th ...
, Scotland, aboard the troop ship . Two of the remaining N-3PBs flew to Oban. The eight aircraft left behind on Iceland were scrapped in Reykjavik between December 1942 – April 1943. Throughout its combat service from 23 June 1941 – 30 March 1943, No. 330(N)'s N-3PBs carried out 1,1011 operational sorties, totalling 3,512 hours flying time. Although the eight attacks they carried out on U-boats proved inconclusive, N-3PB escort patrols and antisubmarine sweeps were an important part of the Allied effort in keeping the North Atlantic sea lanes open. After the end of the type's combat service on Iceland, the Norwegian naval authorities considered basing two N-3PBs on
Svalbard Svalbard ( , ), also known as Spitsbergen, or Spitzbergen, is a Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean. North of mainland Europe, it is about midway between the northern coast of Norway and the North Pole. The islands of the group range ...
, an Arctic archipelago previously known as Spitzbergen. A German naval raid on 8 September 1943 resulted in the deployment being cancelled.


Military operators

; *
Royal Norwegian Navy Air Service The Royal Norwegian Navy Air Service ( no, Marinens flyvevesen) was alongside the Norwegian Army Air Service the forerunner to the modern-day Royal Norwegian Air Force. History The RNNAS was established on 1 June 1912,Official Norwegian Defence ...
** No. 330(N) Squadron RAF ** The ''Flyvåpnenes Treningsleir'' (FTL), "Little Norway" Training Unit


Surviving aircraft

After the war, two surviving N-3PBs (c/n 306, 322) aircraft were flown to Norway, sold for salvage, with c/n 306 being scrapped in 1949 and c/n 322 scrapped in 1956. After a search through records, Ragnar R. Ragnarsson, then vice president of the Icelandic Aviation Historical Society pinpointed the crash site of N-3PB (c/n 320 U". In 1979, the N-3PB wreck was recovered from the Þjórsá River in Iceland. Due to bad weather over Iceland's east coast, the N-3PB flown by Lt. W.W. Bulukin, operating from Búðareyri and transiting to Reykjavik, made a forced landing on 21 April 1943. After being stuck in the silt, it gradually sunk to the river's bottom.Ragnarsson 1981, p. 51. US Navy divers began its initial recovery, later aided by a team of volunteer divers from Great Britain, Iceland, Norway and the United States, bringing up the remains that were sent to the Northrop Aircraft Corporation in Hawthorne, California. Restoration was completed by a 300 strong volunteer group, including 14 retired ex-Northrop employees who had been involved in the original N-3PB production line. The complex restoration required the construction of replacement parts primarily by templating many damaged or corroded original aircraft components in order to create a complete airframe. In November 1980 the restored N-3PB was gifted to Norway by the Northrop Aircraft Corporation and the
San Diego Aerospace Museum San Diego Air & Space Museum (SDASM, formerly the San Diego Aerospace Museum) is an aviation and space exploration museum in San Diego, California, United States. The museum is located in Balboa Park and is housed in the former Ford Building, ...
. This only surviving aircraft is currently on exhibition as part of
Norwegian Armed Forces Aircraft Collection Norwegian Armed Forces Aircraft Collection (''Forsvarets flysamling Gardermoen'') is a military aviation museum located at Gardermoen, north of Oslo in Viken county, Norway. The founding of the Norwegian Aviation Historical Society in 1967, gave t ...
at
Gardermoen Oslo Airport ( no, Oslo lufthavn; ), alternatively referred to as Oslo Gardermoen Airport or simply Gardermoen, is the international airport serving Oslo, Norway, the capital and most populous city in the country. A hub for Flyr, Norse Atlan ...
, Norway.Macha, G. Pat
"Northrop N-3PB Floatplane, 4/21/43."
''Aircraft Wrecks in the Mountains and Deserts of the American West.'' Retrieved: 17 February 2011.


Specifications (N-3PB)


See also


References


Notes


Citations


Bibliography

* Bean, David J. ''The Restoration.'' Washougal, Washington: HL/Ho Logos Press, 2003. . * Beaucamp, Gerry. "The Hawks of Norway." Chatsworth, California: Challenge Publications, ''Air Classics,'' Volume 12, No. 1, January 1976. * Beaucamp, Gerry and Annika Richert. "Norwegian Warriors." ''Air Classics,'' Volume 14, No. 2, February 1978. * Bishop, Chris
"The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II".
New York: Sterling Publishing Company, 2002. . * Blair, Clay. ''Hitler's U-Boat War: The Hunters 1939–1942.'' London: Cassell, 2000. . * Coleman, Ted. ''Jack Northrop and the Flying Wing: The Real Story Behind the Stealth Bomber.'' New York: Paragon House, 1988. . * Green, William. ''War Planes of the Second World War: Volume Six, Floatplanes.'' London: Macdonald, 1962. * Guhnfeldt, Cato. ''Sagaen om de norske Northrop-flyene på Island'' (in Norwegian). Oslo: Sem&Stenersen, 1981. . * Hafsten, Bjørn and Tom Arheim. ''Marinens Flygevåpen 1912–1944'' (in Norwegian). Oslo: TankeStreken AS, 2003. . * Hansen, Conradi. ''Little Norway: A Message of Liberty to the Hills of Home.'' Oslo: Military Historical Foundation of Eastern Norway, 1985. . * Henriksen, Vera. ''Luftforsvarets historie bind 2'' (in Norwegian) Oslo: Aschehoug, 1996. . * Lake, Jon
''Sunderland Squadrons of World War 2.''
Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing, 2000. . * Lillevik, Finn. ''Forsvarets luftflaade 1912–1982: beskrivelser av våre bevarte militære fly'' Forsvarsmuseets småskrift no. 2 (in Norwegian) Oslo: Norwegian Armed Forces Museum, 1984. . * March, Daniel J. ''British Warplanes of World War II.'' London: Aerospace Publishing, 1998. . * O'Leary, Michael. "Northrop's N-3PB." Chatsworth, California: Challenge Publications, ''Air Classics,'' Volume 17, No. 3, March 1981. * Ragnarsson, Ragnar R. "Phantom of the Fjords: Northrop's Flying Viking!" Granada Hills, California: Sentry Books, ''Wings,'' Vol. 11, No. 1, February 1981. * Saunders, Reginald, S. J. ''Little Norway in Pictures: With Supplement, Norway – Yesterday and Today'' (Also on cover, ''R.N.A.F. in Canada''). Toronto: S. J. R. Saunders, 1944. * Ulvensøen, Jon. ''Brennpunkt Nord – Værtjenestekrigen 1940–45'' (in Norwegian). Oslo: Norwegian Armed Forces Museum, 1991. * Wiig, Erling. "Message of Liberty." Stamford, Lincolnshire: Key Publishing, ''Flypast'', No. 338, September 2009.


External links


''Popular Mechanics'', February 1942, rare photo at bottom of page showing rear-bottom gun position

Northrop N-3PB photos


{{DEFAULTSORT:Northrop N-3pb N-3PB Single-engined tractor aircraft Low-wing aircraft Floatplanes 1930s United States patrol aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1940