The McDonnell Douglas (later Boeing) X-36 Tailless Fighter Agility Research Aircraft is 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]

Feb 28, 2014 · Accomplishments. The first flight of the X-36 occurred on May 17, 1997, with the final flight closing the original program on Nov. 12, 1997. A total of 31 safe and successful research flights were flown during that 25-week period, accumulating a total of 15 hours and 38 minutes of flight time and using four different versions of flight control software.

Mar 27, 2025 · Since Boeing was announced as the manufacturer of the U.S. Air Force’s new crewed sixth-generation stealth combat jet, designated the F-47, last Friday, there has been no shortage of speculation about how the final aircraft might look. With the very limited imagery we have received so far, there are many more questions than answers, but there are certainly some interesting comparisons to be ...

In the mid-1990s, NASA and the Boeing (then McDonnell Douglas) “Phantom Works” built two unmanned X-36 Tailless Fighter Agility Research Aircraft to develop technology for a maneuverable, tailless fighter. The X-36s were about a quarter of the size of a,

The X-36 Tailless Fighter Agility Research Aircraft is a subscale prototype jet built by McDonnell Douglas designed to fly without the traditional tail surfaces common on most aircraft.

Jan 24, 2014 · The NASA/Boeing X-36 Tailless Fighter Agility Research Aircraft successfully completed a 31-flight research program at NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, CA, in November 1997.

Boeing (McDonnell Douglas) X-36 After about five years of low-key studies, NASA and McDonnell Douglas (by now acquired by Boeing) agreed in 1994 to build an unmanned subscale aircraft to demonstrate technologies for future tailless low-observable (LO) fighter designs.

Apr 10, 2023 · The X-36 was an experimental aircraft designed to find out if planes could be just as maneuverable at a wider range of speed. Here's what happened.

Dec 9, 2023 · Why the X-36 deserves a place in aviation history: In the collection of the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (AFB), located outside Dayton, Ohio ...

Sep 21, 2019 · Instead, 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, single-channel digital fly-by-wire control system (developed with some commercially available components) was put in place to stabilize the aircraft.