McDonnell Douglas X-36

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McDonnell-Douglas X-36

Description
Role	Tailless Fighter Agility Research Aircraft
Crew	1 pilot
First Flight	May 17, 1997
Manufacturer	McDonnell Douglas
Dimensions
Length	19 ft	5.8 m
Wingspan	10 ft	3.0 m
Height	3 ft	0.9 m
Wing area	ft²	m²
Weights
Empty	lb	kg
Loaded	lb	kg
Maximum takeoff	1,250 lb	550 kg
Powerplant
Engines	Williams International F112 turbofan
Thrust	700 lbf	3.1 kN
Performance
Maximum speed	234 mph	375 km/h
Range	miles	km
Service ceiling	20,000 ft	6,000 m
Rate of climb	ft/min	m/min
Wing loading	lb/ft²	kg/m²
Thrust/Weight	0.56
Avionics
Avionics

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

[edit] Summary

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 put in place to stabilize the aircraft.

The X-36 was built to approximately one-quarter scale of a possible fighter aircraft, and controlled by a pilot in a ground station virtual cockpit with a view provided by a video camera mounted in the nose of the aircraft.

First flown on May 17, 1997, it made 31 successful research flights. It handled very well, and the program is reported to have met or exceeded all project goals.

The aircraft is sometimes referred to as the Boeing X-36 as the test program was still in progress when McDonnell Douglas merged with the Boeing Company. In the adjoining photograph it is carrying Boeing markings.

This aircraft was put on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio on July 16, 2003.

[edit] Potential development

The X-36 is a scaled-down representation of a theoretical advanced fighter aircraft configuration. The extreme maneuverability and stable nature at both ends of the speed envelope would make it ideal for use as a fighter. Despite the potential suitability, as of 2005 there have been no announcements by Boeing or any government agency regarding the X-36's development as a fighter.