McDonnell Douglas X-36

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.

X-36
X-36 in flight
General information
Type	Research aircraft
Manufacturer	McDonnell Douglas/Boeing
Status	Retired
Number built	2
History
First flight	17 May 1997

Design and development

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 2024.

Preservation

• The 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 and is displayed in the Museum's Research & Development Gallery.
• The second X-36 is displayed outside the Air Force Test Flight Center Museum at Edwards Air Force Base in California.

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  X-36 at the National Museum of the United States Air Force
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Specifications (X-36)

Data from Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1997-98, Designation Systems, American X-Vehicles

General characteristics

• Length: 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

• Approach speed: 110 kn (127 mph; 204 km/h)
• Service ceiling: 20,500 ft (6,200 m)
• g limits: +5
• Thrust/weight: 0.56

Gallery

• 
  The aircraft is hoisted following its arrival at NASA Dryden Flight Research Center in July 1996
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  Remote cockpit
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  A technician at Dryden prepares the X-36 for its first flight
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  First flight 17 May 1997
• 
  In flight June 1997

See also

• Tailless aircraft

Related development

• Boeing X-45

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

• Boeing Bird of Prey

Related lists

• List of experimental aircraft

External links

• NASA fact sheet on the X-36 Tailless Fighter Agility Research Aircraft Archived 2019-01-19 at the Wayback Machine
• "X-36 Proving Its Agility In Flight Testing". Boeing, 1997.
• Boeing X-36 (1997): Tailless Agility Aviation Week & Space Technology