Warbird Information Exchange

Canopy setup is wild. Where did it come from and was it used for? This is 0680...

And also for discussion....the XN3N-1 in red bordered insignia! Is this is a postwar or near to it surplus yard?

No leaves on the shrubs may be a clue?

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No leaves on the shrubs....check.

Yes. Canopies are designed to keep the cold out and that wind too. However the lousy design of the canopy and cluttered look means it was probably done by a depot or other facility, and only for certain planes. I have not seen it on the dash three. It’s an interesting mod, and one that appears “standard” on an Anacostia staff/test aircraft, the float equipped one with many markings and the odd 9ne with the July 43 insignia that’s the XN3N-1. That plane is cool because it’s the only N3N that was serialed under the First Series, technically A-9991 but the A was dropped as the serials passed 9905. The plane was also supposed to be delisted as an N3N-1 sometime after 1940, but clearly this did not happen. A very neat mix of N3Ns....and it raises many questions beyond temperature.

Isn’t there only one N3N-1 surviving? What happened to them all? I understand why some designs were unwanted. Hard to imagine, with so many civilian biplanes surviving in some shape or form, that none of the N3N-1’s were desired by flight schools, crop dusters, etc.

I don’t understand, I googled N3N and counted 15 aircraft listed as being on display. Did show 1 flying as of 2019, maybe more are airworthy.FAA registry has 144 listed . True there are no N3n-1 listed. 179 N3n-1 were built and 816 N3n-3 were built.

The CAF has a flying N3N-3 if you are interested. Here is a link. Randy

https://commemorativeairforce.org/aircraft/83

There is only one "at this time" and its in a museum in Chile. Reason why is because it really was a poor trainer..........yes I said it. The -1 had a very bad problem with CG issues and the -3 even has it and why the navy kept going with it by the -3 being the only Navy Aircraft to be approved for inverted spins. Regular spins are prohibited and why I think the true name for "yellow Peril" came from. The -1's were great on floats as were the -3's so all your PBY and Kingfisher pilots I am sure got their basic in the N3N on floats. That being said, most of the -3's were removed from primary flight training for the Navy in 1943 and sold surplus in 46. Yet a small few managed to stay in service until 1959.

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N3NJeff

How many, roughly, of the post-war N3Ns in Navy service were on wheels?
Maybe the only ones they kept were on floats for the reasons you mentioned?

The few post-war photos I've seen of them were the float variants.

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