X-plane
- This article is about experimental aircraft. For the flight simulator, see X-Plane.
The X-planes are a series of experimental United States aircraft (and some rockets) used for testing of new technologies and usually kept highly secret while the work is underway.
The first of these, the Bell X-1, became well-known as the first plane to break the sound barrier, which it did in 1947. Later X-planes yielded important research results, but only the North American X-15 rocket plane of the early 1960s achieved comparable fame. X-planes 7 through 12 were actually missiles, and some other vehicles were unpiloted. Most X-planes are not expected to ever go into full-scale production, and usually only a few are produced. One exception is the Lockheed Martin X-35, which competed against the Boeing X-32 to become the Joint Strike Fighter.
X-plane projects are still underway as of 2004.
- Bell X-1 - rocket plane
- Bell X-2 - swept wing
- Douglas X-3 Stiletto
- Northrop X-4 Bantam - swept wing, semi-tailless
- Bell X-5 - in-flight wing sweeping
- Convair X-6 - nuclear-powered
- Lockheed X-7 - ramjet missile
- Aerojet General X-8
- Bell X-9 Shrike
- North American X-10
- Convair X-11
- Convair X-12
- Ryan X-13 Vertijet
- Bell X-14
- North American X-15
- Bell X-16
- Lockheed X-17
- Hiller X-18
- Curtiss-Wright X-19
- Boeing X-20 Dyna-Soar
- Northrop X-21
- Bell X-22
- Martin-Marietta X-23
- Martin-Marietta X-24
- Bensen X-25
- Schweizer X-26 Frigate
- Lockheed X-27
- Pereira X-28 Sea Skimmer
- Grumman X-29
- Rockwell X-30
- Rockwell-MBB X-31
- Boeing X-32
- Lockheed Martin X-33
- Orbital Sciences X-34
- Lockheed Martin X-35
- McDonnell Douglas X-36
- Boeing X-37 - Future-X
- X-38
- X-39 - unused designation reserved for Future Aircraft Technology Enhancements programme
- Boeing X-40
- X-41 - classified programme - re-entry vehicle.
- X-42 - classified programme - rocket stage
- Boeing X-43
- Lockheed Martin X-44 MANTA
- Boeing X-45 UCAV
- Boeing X-46
- Northrop Grumman X-47 Pegasus - UCAV
- Boeing X-48 - blended wing body
- Sikorsky Piasecki X-49
- Boeing X-50 - canard rotor/wing
See also
Reference
- Jay Miller, The X-Planes: X-1 to X-45 (Motorbooks International, 2001)
External link
- Early X-planes (http://www.centennialofflight.gov/essay/Evolution_of_Technology/early_X_planes/Tech27.htm)