Manufacturer catalog

Northrop Corporation

Northrop Corporation was a U.S. aerospace manufacturer founded by Jack Northrop in 1939 and absorbed into Northrop Grumman through the 1994 Grumman transaction. Its defense-aircraft work ranged from flying-wing research and wartime aircraft production to lightweight export fighters and low-observable bomber programs, with the catalog's direct manufacturer link currently centered on the Northrop F-5 family.

1 weapons

Northrop grew from a Hawthorne, California aircraft plant into one of the main U.S. military-aircraft houses associated with Jack Northrop's flying-wing ideas. Northrop Grumman's own heritage material identifies Northrop Aircraft Incorporated as founded in 1939 and describes it as a designer and manufacturer whose flying-wing work ultimately culminated in the B-2 stealth bomber.

The company's Cold War fighter work emphasized compact, exportable, and lower-cost aircraft. Northrop's official F-5 program history describes the Freedom Fighter and Tiger II family as a durable supersonic tactical fighter series, with more than 2,600 aircraft built by Northrop Grumman and licensed or co-production partners.

Northrop also moved into stealth-era prime-contractor work before the modern Northrop Grumman name. The B-2 program carried forward the flying-wing lineage, while the 1994 SEC filing documents Northrop's acquisition structure for Grumman and the cash tender offer that led to the combined Northrop Grumman defense company.

military aircraft design and productionsupersonic light fighter aircraftflying-wing and low-observable aircraft developmentaircraft sustainment and structural support

Notable Systems

Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighter / Tiger II, Supersonic light fighter aircraft, Aircraft & UAVs

Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighter / Tiger II

Supersonic light fighter aircraft

Northrop's long-running light fighter family entered first delivery in 1964, remained in production deliveries through 1989, and exceeded 2,600 aircraft across Northrop and licensed/co-production output.

Sources: F-5 Tiger Fighter Jet
B-2 Spirit, Low-observable strategic heavy bomber, Aircraft & UAVs

B-2 Spirit

Low-observable strategic heavy bomber

The B-2 is cataloged under Northrop Grumman, but Northrop heritage sources connect its flying-wing lineage to Northrop Aircraft Incorporated and the company program work that preceded the 1994 Grumman combination.

Sources: Northrop Grumman heritage, B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber

Manufacturer History

  1. Northrop Aircraft Incorporated founded

    Northrop Grumman heritage material identifies Northrop Aircraft Incorporated as founded in 1939 and describes the company as a designer and manufacturer of original aircraft, including the flying-wing lineage.

    Sources: Northrop Grumman heritage

  2. Hawthorne plant opens

    Local Hawthorne history records Northrop's move into its new Hawthorne home in February 1940, after the city-backed airfield and factory arrangement created the company's early production base.

    Sources: Hawthorne Municipal Airport history

  3. F-5 first flight

    Northrop Grumman's F-5 program history gives July 31, 1963 as the F-5's initial flight at Edwards Air Force Base.

    Sources: F-5 Tiger Fighter Jet

  4. Grumman transaction creates Northrop Grumman lineage

    Northrop's 1994 Form 8-K documents the merger structure for acquiring Grumman, including the April 1994 tender-offer acceptance and expected May 1994 merger completion.

    Sources: 1994 Northrop Form 8-K

Successors
Northrop Grumman
Website links
Northrop Grumman heritageNorthrop F-5 program page1994 Northrop Form 8-K

Northrop Corporation no longer operates as a separate public manufacturer. Public sourcing is split between Northrop Grumman heritage pages, Northrop program pages that use the modern successor name, and contemporary filings from the 1994 Grumman transaction.

Manufacturer Sources

  • Northrop Grumman heritagePublisher: Northrop Grumman | Note: Supports Northrop Aircraft Incorporated founding year, Northrop flying-wing heritage, Grumman's 1994 merger with Northrop, and successor-company context. | Accessed: 2026-07-11
  • F-5 Tiger Fighter JetPublisher: Northrop Grumman | Note: Supports F-5 first flight, first delivery, final delivery, production scale, co-production context, and Northrop/Northrop Grumman sustainment role. | Accessed: 2026-07-11
  • B-2 Spirit Stealth BomberPublisher: Northrop Grumman | Note: Supports B-2 background and Northrop Grumman prime-contractor context for the stealth bomber lineage. | Accessed: 2026-07-11
  • 1994 Northrop Form 8-KPublisher: Northrop Corporation / SEC filing hosted by Northrop Grumman | Note: Supports Northrop's 1994 Grumman acquisition and merger structure, including the tender offer, principal executive office address, and transaction value. | Accessed: 2026-07-11
  • Hawthorne Municipal Airport historyPublisher: Hawthorne Police Department / Daily Breeze archive | Note: Supports Hawthorne site context, the 1939 formation period, and Northrop's move into the Hawthorne facility in February 1940. | Accessed: 2026-07-11

Produced weapons

Category

Aircraft & UAVs

Crewed aircraft, drones, and loitering munitions.

1/1
Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighter / Tiger II, Supersonic light fighter aircraft, Aircraft & UAVs1955 Vietnam War, 1977 Cambodian-Vietnamese War +9 moreNorthrop F-5 Freedom Fighter / Tiger IISupersonic light fighter aircraftBuilt in: United StatesThe Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighter / Tiger II is a lightweight supersonic fighter family developed by Northrop for export customers, low operating cost, and easy support. The later F-5E/F Tiger II and F-5N/F adversary aircraft kept the design relevant through radar, structural, avionics, and training-role upgrades, while combat use spans Vietnam, Iran, Yemen, North Africa, and other source-limited air-war records.