Lockheed Martin X-44 MANTA

X-44 MANTA
Artist's concept of the X-44 in flight
Role Experimental tailless aircraft
National origin United States
Manufacturer Lockheed Martin
Status Canceled
Primary users NASA
U.S. Air Force
Number built 0
Developed from Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor

The Lockheed Martin X-44 MANTA (Multi-Axis No-Tail Aircraft) was a conceptual aircraft design by Lockheed Martin that has been studied by NASA and the U.S. Air Force. It was intended to test the feasibility of full yaw, pitch and roll control without tailplanes (horizontal or vertical). Attitude manipulation relies purely on 3D thrust vectoring.[1] The aircraft design was an F-22 Raptor-derived featuring a stretched version of the delta wing and deleted tail surfaces.[1]

Contents

Design and development

The X-44 was designed by Lockheed Martin to demonstrate the feasibility of an aircraft controlled by vectored thrust alone. The X-44 design had a reduced radar signature and was made more efficient by eliminating the tail and rudder surfaces, and instead using thrust vectors to provide yaw, pitch and roll control.[1]

The X-44 MANTA design was based on the F-22, except without a tail and incorporated a full delta wing. The basic X-44 MANTA would entail a larger weapons payload and a greater fuel capacity than the F-22, due to its larger delta wing design. The MANTA was designed to have reduced mechanical complexity, increased fuel efficiency and greater agility. The X-44 MANTA combined the control and propulsion systems, using thrust vectoring.[2][3] Funding for the X-44 program ended in 2000.[4]

See also

Related development

References

  1. ^ a b c Jenkins, Dennis R.; Landis, Tony, Miller, Jay (June 2003). "American X-Vehicles: An Inventory, X-1 to X-50" (PDF). Monographs in Aerospace History, No. 31. NASA. p. 54. http://history.nasa.gov/monograph31.pdf. Retrieved 2007-10-07. 
  2. ^ Pike, John. "X-44 MANTA." GlobalSecurity.org, 27 April 2005.
  3. ^ Jenkins, Dennis R. et al. "SP-2003-4531: American X-Vehicles, An Inventory—X-1 to X-50." NASA, June 2003.
  4. ^ "X-Planes Explained". NASAExplores.com, 9 October 2003.

External links

Manufacturer
designations
Basic Model
Numbers

L-1 · L-2 · L-3 · L-4 · L-5 · L-7 · L-8 · L-9 · L-10 · L-11 · L-012 · (L-013 not assigned) · L-014 · L-015 · L-016 · L-017 · L-018 · L-019 · L-020 · L-021 · L-022 · L-023 · L-024 · (L-025 not assigned) · L-026 · L-027 · (L-028 not assigned) · L-029 · L-030 · L-031 · L-032 · L-033 · L-034 · L-035 · (L-036 not assigned) · L-037 · (L-038 and L-039 not assigned) · L-040 · L-041 · L-042 · L-044 · L-045 · L-049 · L-050 · L-051 · L-052 · L-060 · L-061 · L-062 · L-075 · L-080 · L-081 · L-082 · L-083 · L-084 · L-085 · L-086 · L-087 · L-088 · L-089 · L-090 · L-091 · L-092 · L-093 · L-094 · L-092 · L-099 · L-100 · L-133 · L-140 · L-141 · L-193 · L-245 · L-246 · L-300 · L-301 · L-329 · L-351 · L-382 · L-500 · L-645
Lockheed-California
Temporary Design
Numbers

CL-282 · CL-288 · CL-295 · CL-320 · CL-325 · CL-329 · CL-346 · CL-379 · CL-400 · CL-407 · CL-475 · CL-595 · CL-704 · CL-760 · CL-823 · CL-901 · CL-915 · CL-934 · CL-981 · CL-984 · CL-985 · CL-1026 · CL-1195 · CL-1200 · CL-1400 · CL-1600 · CL-1700 · CL-1800 · CL-1980
By role
Airliners and
civil transports
Military transports

Y1C-12 · Y1C-17 · Y1C-23 · Y1C-25 · C-36 · C-37 · C-40 · C-56 · C-57 · C-59 · C-60 · C-63 · C-66 · C-69 · UC-85 · UC-101 · C-104 · C-111 · C-121 · C-130 / C-130J / HC-130 / KC-130 / LC-130 / MC-130 · C-139 · C-140 · C-141 · C-5 · JO · XRO · R2O · R3O · XR4O · R5O · R6O / R6V · R7O / R7V · R8V / GV / UV · TriStar
Attack and bombers

Y1A-9 · A-28 · A-29 · XB-30 · B-34 · B-37 · FB-22 · AC-130 · A-4AR
Drones/UAVs

Q-5 · Q-12/D-21 · MQM-105 · P-175 · RQ-3 · RQ-170
See also: DC-130
EW and
reconnaissance

O-56 · F-4 · F-5 · F-14 · YO-3 · EC-121 · EC-130 / EC-130H · WC-130 · EP-3 · RB-69 · U-2 / TR-1 · A-12 · SR-71 · PO / WV · XW2V
Fighters

XFM-2 · XPB-3 · YP-24 · P-38 · XP-49 · XP-58 · P/F-80 · XF-90 · F-94 · F-97 · F-104 · F-117 · F-16 · YF-22 · F-22 · F-35 · FO · XFV
Helicopters

CL-475 · XH-51 · AH-56 · VH-71
Maritime patrol

PBO · PV · P2V · P-2 · P3V · P-3 · P-7 · S-3 · CP-122 · CP-140
Trainers

AT-18 · T-33 · T-40 · TO / TV · T2V / T-1
Experimental

M-21 · NF-104A · QT-2 · XC-35 · XF-104 · VZ-10 / XV-4 · X-7 · X-17 · X-26B · X-27 · X-33 · X-35 · X-44 · X-55
Names

Air Express · Aquila · Altair · Aurora · Big Dipper · Blackbird · Chain Lightning · Cheyenne · Constellation (L-049 · L-649 · L-749) · Constitution · Electra (Model 10) · Electra (Model 88) · Electra Junior · Excalibur · Explorer · Fighting Falcon · Galaxy · Have Blue · Hercules · Hudson · Hummingbird · JetStar · Kestrel · Kingfisher · Lightning · Lightning II · Little Dipper · Lodestar · Neptune · Orion (Model 9) · Orion (P-3) · Polecat · Raptor · Saturn · SeaStar · Sentinel · Shooting Star · Sirius · Starfighter · Starfire · Starlifter · Starliner · Super Constellation (L-1049 · L-1249) · Super Electra · Super Galaxy · Super Hercules · Tristar · Vega · Ventura · Viking · Warning Star
USAF/Joint Service experimental aircraft (X-plane) designations since 1941
1–25

X-1 · X-2 · X-3 · X-4 · X-5 · X-6 · X-7 · X-8 · X-9 · X-10 · X-11 · X-12 · X-13 · X-14 · X-15 · X-16 · X-17 · X-18 · X-19 · X-20 · X-21 · X-22 · X-23 · X-24A · X-24B · X-25
26–50

X-26 · X-27 · X-28 · X-29 · X-30 · X-31 · X-32 · X-33 · X-34 · X-35 · X-36 · X-37 · X-38 · X-39 · X-40 · X-41 · X-42 · X-43 · X-44 · X-45 · X-46 · X-47A / X-47B · X-48 · X-49 · X-50
50–

X-51 · X-521 · X-53 · X-54 · X-55
See also
1 Unused, to avoid confusion with the B-52.
Lists relating to aviation
General
Military
Accidents/incidents
Records