Unusual
and Concept Aircraft
Here are some of the more interesting aircraft designs created by
some of the best known manufacturers. Hardly suprising, most of the
aircraft are of military origin proving how hotly contested the market
is.
Bell "Eagle Eye" UAV
Unmanned tilt rotor aircraft for surveillance.
No need for a runway, can operate from land or sea based platform.
This picture shows an Eagle Eye in US Coast guard livery. |
Boeing Bird of Prey
The Bird of Prey project cost $67 million,
and the project was classified from 1992 to 1999, with the
first flight in 1996. The Bird of Prey helped to develop stealth
technology for the US airforce. |
General Dynamics A12 Avenger II
The McDonnell Douglas/General Dynamics A-12
Avenger II was designed to be an all-weather, stealth attack
replacement for the A-6 Intruder in the United States Navy
and Marines.
It suffered several problems throughout
development, especially with the materials used and the overall
price of the aircraft - an estimated US $165 million per unit.
Canceled in January of 1991.
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Lockheed XFV-1
The Lockheed XFV-1 is a 'tailsitter'
VTOL (Vertical Take-Off and Landing) aircraft
It was created by the US Navy who were looking for ways to
improve ship defense by equipping merchant ships with vertical
take-off aircraft.
The XFV-1 used the Allison YT40-A-14 engine to drive two 16
ft counter-rotating three-bladed Curtiss-Wright propellers
with electric pitch control. The XFV-1 was fitted with a conventional
landing gear to make its first horizontal flight in March
1954. A total of 27 level flights were made. Control in hover
was very poor. No vertical take-offs or landings were ever
attempted. |
Bell
X-1
The Bell X-1 rocket powered aircraft of the
US Airforce, piloted by Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier
On October 14, 1947.
Amazingly Yeager had broken two ribs in a horse riding accident
the weekend prior to the flight. He kept the injury hidden
from his superiors in order to fly the mission. Because of
his injury, to close the entry hatch Yeager had to use a sawn
off broom handle with his left arm. |
Martin X-24B
The rocket powered X-24B, which first flew
in August 1973, was developed from the experiences gained
through the 28 flights of the X-24A.
The X-24B made 10 glide and 26 powered flights before the
program ended in 1975, having validated the lifting-body aircraft
concept.
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Northrop Tacit Blue
The Tacit Blue was created to test stealth technology. The
USAF, DARPA, and Northrop worked together from 1978 to 1985
to prove that curved surfaces on an aircraft result in a low
radar return signal from ground based radar. Tacit Blue made
its debut flight in February 1982, and it flew 134 more times
before 1985 when the project ended.
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Grumman X-29
Two X-29's were built and flown at the NASA
Ames-Dryden Flight Research Facility, Edwards, California.
The X-29 was used as a technology demonstrator to investigate
advanced designs and technology. The extensive program was
conducted from 1984 to 1992 and engineering data gathered
is useful for the design and development of future aircraft.
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NASA Boeing X-36
NASA and McDonnell-Douglas Phantom Works developed the technology
essential for a tailless aircraft beginning in 1989. To prove
the technology worked Phantom Works built two unmanned X-36
aircraft.
The first flight of the X-36 took place in May 1997. One of
the two X-36 aircraft completed 31 successful research flights
the last in Dec 1997.
In 1998, the X-36 made two more flights to prove that software
could make the necessary adjustments to fly a damaged tailless
aircraft. |
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ATAC Predator 480
The Predator 480 was an unconventional high
performance crop-duster. Advanced Technology Aircraft Company
contracted with Scaled Composites to design and build a
proof-of-concept crop-duster. Designed by Burt Rutan, it
was owned by ATAC. It never made it into production because
of a severe design flaw in the main wing.
Thanks to David Record, Jr for the information.
(son of the original inventor)
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Scaled Composites White Knight
White Knight was developed as the mothership
to SpaceShipOne, the first private spaceship which won the
ANSARI X-Prize.
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Rutan 151 ARES
The 151 ARES (Agile Responsive Effective Support)
was developed by Burt Rutan as a low cost fighter.
The ARES first flew on February 19, 1990. Since that first
flight, the 151 ARES has flown more than 250 hours. |
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