X-plane

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[
Bell X-1]

The X-planes are a series of experimental United States aircraft (and some rockets) used for testing of new technologies and usually kept highly secret during development.

The first of these, the Bell X-1, became well-known as the first plane to break the sound barrier, which it did in 1947. Later X-planes yielded important research results, but only the North American X-15 rocket plane of the early 1960s achieved comparable fame. X-planes 7 through 12 were actually missiles, and some other vehicles were unpiloted. Most X-planes are not expected to ever go into full-scale production, and usually only a few are produced. One exception is the Lockheed Martin X-35, which competed against the Boeing X-32 to become the Joint Strike Fighter.

As of 2006, new X-plane projects are still underway. The designation X-52 was skipped to avoid potential confusion with the operational B-52 Stratofortress strategic bomber.

In fiction

Many movies, television series and video games have featured fictional X planes, with both feasible and currently infeasible designs. For instance, the Stargate TV series feature X-301, X-302, X-303, and X-304 spacecraft. The movie Armageddon featured two top-secret space shuttles called the X-71. The film "Rocketship X-M" was inspired by the X-series, featuring the first manned rocket to the moon.

ee also

* Experimental aircraft
* List of experimental aircraft
* List of military aircraft of the United States
* Skunk works

References

* Jay Miller, "The X-Planes: X-1 to X-45". Motorbooks International, 2001.

External links

* [http://www.centennialofflight.gov/essay/Evolution_of_Technology/early_X_planes/Tech27.htm Early X-planes]
* [http://history.nasa.gov/monograph31.pdf "American X-Vehicles: An Inventory X-1 to X-50", SP-2000-4531 - June 2003; NASA online PDF Monograph]
* [http://lisar.larc.nasa.gov/BROWSE/xplane.html X-15 Videos by NASA]