Moye W. Stephens - Northrop Corporation

Northrop Corporation

In the Northrop News, March 27, 1981, Stephens is described as "one of the founders of Northrop Corporation." Stephens said, "Tom Ellsworth was talking to my brother-in-law Wesley LeFevre. He said, 'It's a shame for that fellow Northrop to be working for other people. He should head his own company.'" In 1939, Stephens used his lawyerly skills to scout the countryside for a site to erect Northrop Aviation's first buildings. He was one of the men who brought John K. "Jack" Northrop together with Gage H. Irving and La Motte Cohu. Stephens was appointed to the board as secretary and was chief of the flight division. As chief test pilot, he flew the first Flying Wing, the Northrop N-1M, prototype of today's B-2 bomber.

In 1939 he was instrumental in the promotion and organization of Northrop Aircraft, Inc., in consideration of which he was awarded stock interest in the company and was made Assistant Corporate Secretary. Following the departure of the original secretary, he was moved into that position by the board of electors.

The Northrop N-1M, was the first aircraft Northrop produced. The "M" stood for "mock-up", as the craft was intended to explore the controllability and stability of the all-wing aircraft concept. Stephens did most of the experimental test flying in the two-year test program. The ship was vastly overweight, severely underpowered, and was plagued with constant engine problems. Still, it fulfilled its design purpose. The test program produced the general configuration for the subsequent Northrop Flying Wings.

Stephens also tested other experimental Northrop aircraft: the N-3PB float plane patrol bomber, the A-31 Vengeance dive bomber, and the P-61 Black Widow night fighter.

In the 1920s he had given Jack Northrop flying lessons. (He also taught Jerry Vultee, of Vultee Aircraft, maker of jets such as the F-102, F-106 and B-58.)