The McDonnell Douglas (later Boeing) X-36Tailless Fighter Agility Research Aircraft was an American stealthy subscale prototypejet designed to fly without the traditional empennage found on most aircraft. This configuration was designed to reduce weight, drag and radar cross section, and increase range, maneuverability and survivability.[2]
The X-36 was built to 28% scale of a possible fighter aircraft and was controlled by a pilot in a ground-based virtual cockpit with a view provided by a video camera mounted in the canopy of the aircraft.
For control, a canard forward of the wing was used as well as split ailerons and an advanced thrust vectoringnozzle for directional control. The X-36 was unstable in both pitch and yaw axes, so an advanced digital fly-by-wire control system was used to provide stability.
First flown on 17 May 1997, it made 31 successful research flights. It handled very well, and the program is reported to have met or exceeded all project goals. McDonnell Douglas merged with Boeing in August 1997 while the test program was in progress; the aircraft is sometimes referred to as the Boeing X-36.
The X-36 possessed high maneuverability that would be ideal for use as a fighter. Despite its potential suitability, and highly successful test program, there have been no reports regarding further development of the X-36 or any derived design as of 2017.
^"X-36 - Military Aircraft". fas.org. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
^"Boeing Bird of Prey and X-36 Inducted into Air Force Museum". Boeing, July 16, 2003.
^"NASA/Boeing X-36". National Museum of the United States Air Force™. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
^Jackson, Paul, ed. (1997). Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1997-98 (88th ed.). Coulsdon, Surrey, United Kingdom: Jane's Information Group. p. 677. ISBN9780710615404.
^"Boeing X-36". www.designation-systems.net. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
^Jenkins, Dennis R.; Landis, Tony; Miller, Jay (June 2003). (PDF). NASA. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2020-04-25. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
External linksedit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to McDonnell Douglas X-36.
NASA fact sheet on the X-36 Tailless Fighter Agility Research Aircraft
"X-36 Proving Its Agility In Flight Testing". Boeing, 1997.
mcdonnell, douglas, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, jstor, july, 2. This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources McDonnell Douglas X 36 news newspapers books scholar JSTOR July 2010 Learn how and when to remove this template message The McDonnell Douglas later Boeing X 36 Tailless Fighter Agility Research Aircraft was an American stealthy subscale prototype jet designed to fly without the traditional empennage found on most aircraft This configuration was designed to reduce weight drag and radar cross section and increase range maneuverability and survivability 2 X 36 X 36 in flight Role Research aircraft Manufacturer McDonnell Douglas Boeing First flight 17 May 1997 Status Retired Number built 2 1 Contents 1 Design and development 2 Survivors 3 Specifications X 36 4 Gallery 5 See also 6 References 7 External linksDesign and development edit nbsp Plan view of the X 36 The X 36 was built to 28 scale of a possible fighter aircraft and was controlled by a pilot in a ground based virtual cockpit with a view provided by a video camera mounted in the canopy of the aircraft For control a canard forward of the wing was used as well as split ailerons and an advanced thrust vectoring nozzle for directional control The X 36 was unstable in both pitch and yaw axes so an advanced digital fly by wire control system was used to provide stability First flown on 17 May 1997 it made 31 successful research flights It handled very well and the program is reported to have met or exceeded all project goals McDonnell Douglas merged with Boeing in August 1997 while the test program was in progress the aircraft is sometimes referred to as the Boeing X 36 The X 36 possessed high maneuverability that would be ideal for use as a fighter Despite its potential suitability and highly successful test program there have been no reports regarding further development of the X 36 or any derived design as of 2017 Survivors editThe first X 36 is at the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton Ohio It arrived on July 16 2003 the same day as the Boeing Bird of Prey 3 and is displayed in the Museum s Research amp Development Gallery 4 The second X 36 is displayed outside the Air Force Test Flight Center Museum at Edwards Air Force Base in California nbsp X 36 at the National Museum of the United States Air Force nbsp nbsp Specifications X 36 edit nbsp Data from Jane s All the World s Aircraft 1997 98 5 Designation Systems 6 American X Vehicles 7 General characteristicsLength 18 ft 2 5 in 5 550 m including pitot boom Wingspan 10 ft 5 in 3 18 m Height 3 ft 1 25 in 0 9462 m Empty weight 1 090 lb 494 kg Max takeoff weight 1 270 lb 576 kg Fuel capacity 180 lb 82 kg Powerplant 1 Williams F112 turbofan engine 700 lbf 3 1 kN thrust Performance Maximum speed 160 kn 180 mph 300 km h initial flight test limit 243 kn 280 mph 450 km h later limit dd dd Approach speed 110 kn 127 mph 204 km h Service ceiling 20 500 ft 6 200 m g limits 5 Thrust weight 0 56Gallery edit nbsp The aircraft is hoisted following its arrival at NASA Dryden Flight Research Center in July 1996 nbsp Remote cockpit nbsp A technician at Dryden prepares the X 36 for its first flight nbsp First flight 17 May 1997 nbsp In flight June 1997See also editTailless aircraft Related development Boeing X 45 Aircraft of comparable role configuration and era Boeing Bird of Prey Related lists List of experimental aircraftReferences edit Jenkins Landis and Miller 2003 p 46 X 36 Military Aircraft fas org Retrieved 2 May 2020 Boeing Bird of Prey and X 36 Inducted into Air Force Museum Boeing July 16 2003 NASA Boeing X 36 National Museum of the United States Air Force Retrieved 2 May 2020 Jackson Paul ed 1997 Jane s All the World s Aircraft 1997 98 88th ed Coulsdon Surrey United Kingdom Jane s Information Group p 677 ISBN 9780710615404 Boeing X 36 www designation systems net Retrieved 2 May 2020 Jenkins Dennis R Landis Tony Miller Jay June 2003 AMERICAN X VEHICLES Centennial of Flight Edition SP 2003 4531 An Inventory X 1 to X 50 PDF NASA Archived from the original PDF on 2020 04 25 Retrieved 2 May 2020 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to McDonnell Douglas X 36 NASA fact sheet on the X 36 Tailless Fighter Agility Research Aircraft X 36 Proving Its Agility In Flight Testing Boeing 1997 Boeing X 36 1997 Tailless Agility Aviation Week amp Space Technology Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title McDonnell Douglas X 36 amp oldid 1210814350, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
