The X-Plane Thread
After browsing through the great YF-23 thread figured it'd be nice to have a place to post pics of the various X-planes used throughout the years by NACA/NASA and the armed forces.
I'll start if off with a few of the best known of the family, the Bell X-1. First aircraft to break the sound barrier in controlled flight at the hands of Chuck Yeager.
The improved Bell X-1A, which set a world speed record of Mach 2.4 with Yeager at the controls in December of 1953.
Bell X-2
The new X-2 had blistering performance and on 7 September of 1956, Capt. Ivan Kicheloe became the first pilot to exceed 100,000ft, reaching a world record 126,200ft. The other test pilot, Capt. Mel Apt became the first pilot in history to exceed Mach 3, flying to an astonishing Mach 3.2 on 27 September of that year. Unfortunately, Mel lost control during a maneuver and was tragically killed.
Captain Milburn 'Mel' Apt, first man to Mach 3.
Thx for the pics, Chuck Yeager's the man
X-15
Sorry Elbs about taking it out of numerical order, but I had to - the X-15 for me is just THE X-plane of all time.
Heat ablative covering.
Testing a scramjet system attached to underside of the body.
Nice. No worries about the sequences. Post em if you got em.
Here's one of my faves, the Grumman X-29. First supersonic plane with forward-swept wings to fly.
This ones perfection - X-15 and an Xb-70 side by side. Imagine that as a drop / mothership...
This last picture is the rare, pink X-15 - its not a joke, its the high speed thermal protective layer that went under the white ablative layer.
X-24B Lifting Body research aircraft.
From the lifting body era came the brilliant X-24 series of airframes, and my favorite is the 24B. Looks like a very early 'HAVE BLUE' or they saw the X-24B and got ideas...
X-5
First aircraft capable of moving wings in-flight.
Before the Osprey...
LTV XC-142
Boeing Bird of Prey
Bird of Prey is super BAMF
McDonnell XF-85 Goblin
XF-85 Goblin parasitic escort jet fighter for B-36, aka "Flying Egg"
some X-36
I seriously hope Boeing beats out Lockheed for the Sixth-gen fighter...they make much more beautiful birds...and they bough McDonnell-Douglas which gave them Phantom Works.
Speaking of Boeing's "beautiful birds", the X-32...Originally Posted by Soldat_Américain
Perhaps one of the ugliest aircraft, ever.
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