List of experimental aircraft

List of experimental aircraft
	a group of 1950s NACA research aircraft

This is a list of experimental aircraft, or aircraft used or built to conduct experiments involving aerodynamics, structural materials, propulsion systems, configuration and equipment. Prototypes, pre-production and homebuilt aircraft described as experimental but which were not used in this manner outside of their own development are excluded.

Germany[]

Akaflieg Berlin B 9 – prone pilot
Akaflieg Darmstadt/Akaflieg München DM1 – delta wing
Albatros L.81 - elektron metal structure testbed
AVA AF 1 – augumented lift
Blohm & Voss Fg 227 – scale proof of concept
DFS 194 – tailless rocket aircraft used in development of Me 163
DFS 346 – supersonic reconnaissance aircraft used for research
Dornier Do 29 – tilt rotor STOL

Dornier Do 31 – VTOL transport
Flettner airplane – Magnus effect test vehicle
Flettner Fl 185 - gyrodyne
Focke-Wulf F 19 – multi-engined canard
Focke-Wulf Fw 61 – first practical helicopter
Fokker V.1 - structures and aerodynamics testbed
Göppingen Gö 8 - development aircraft for Do 214
Göppingen Gö 9 – pusher (behind tail) aerodynamic testbed
Gotha G.VI - asymetric flying surfaces
Gotha Go 147 – tailless research aircraft

Heinkel He 176 – rocket research aircraft
Heinkel He 178 – jet engine research aircraft
Horten H.III - flying wing
Horten H.IV - flying wing
Horten Ho VI - flying wing
Junkers J 1 – all metal cantilever monoplane
Junkers EF 61 – pressurization
Junkers Ju 49 – high altitude test aircraft
Lippisch Delta IV – delta wing
Lippisch Ente – rocket powered canard
Lippisch P.13a - delta wing and use of coal
Messerschmitt Me P.1101 - swing wings
Opel RAK.1 – rocket propulsion
RFB X-113 – wing in ground effect vehicle
RFB X-114 – wing in ground effect vehicle
Sack AS-6 – disk wing
VFW VAK 191B – VTOL fighter
Zeppelin-Lindau (Dornier) V1 - stressed skin construction

Japan[]

Gasuden Koken – long range experimental aircraft
Honda MH02 - materials and engine placement
Kawasaki Ki-78 - high speed research aircraft
Kayaba Ku-2 - tailless glider
Kayaba Ku-3 - tailless glider
Kayaba Ku-4 - tailless research aircraft
Kimura HK-1 - tailless glider
Mitsubishi RP-1 - experimental helicopter
MXY-6 – canard scale testbed for Kyushu J7W
Shin Meiwa UF-XS – proof of concept demonstrator for Shin Meiwa US-1A

Russia/Soviet Union[]

Alexeyev Ekranoplans
Antonov A-40 – tank glider
Atonov 181 – custer channel wing demonstrator
Bartini Beriev VVA-14 – Ekranoplan
Bartini Stal-6 – high speed aircraft
Chyeranovskii BICh-3 – tailless delta research aircraft
Chyeranovskii BICh-11 – flying wing to test wingtip rudders
Chyeranovskii BICh-16 – human powered ornithopter
Chyeranovskii BICh-18 – human powered ornithopter
Chizhevski BOK-1 – high altitude research aircraft
Chizhevski BOK-5 – tailless research aircraft
Grigorovich I-Z – recoilless cannon evaluation
Grushin Octyabrenok – tandem wing
Kozlov PS – invisible aircraft (covered in transparent material)
MAI EMAI – magnesium construction
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-8 – pusher canard proof of concept
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-105 – lifting body
Mikoyan Project 1.44 – technology demonstrator
Mikoyan-Gurevich N – mixed propulsion system

Moskalyev SAM-9 Strela – delta wing
NIAI RK – telescopic wings
NIAI RK-I – telescopic wings
Nikitin PSN-2 – glider bombers
Nikitin-Shevchenko IS – biplane/monoplane hybrid
Sukhanov Diskoplan – disk wings
Sukhoi T-4
Sukhoi T-10 – technology demonstrator
Sukhoi T-58VD – VTOL research aircraft
Sukhoi Su-47
Tsybin LL – forward swept wing
Tsybin NM-1 – proof of concept
Tupolev ANT-20
Tupolev Tu-95LAL – nuclear-powered aircraft
Ushakov flying submarines
Yakovlev Yak-36 – VTOL technology demonstrator
Yakovlev Yak-1000 – supersonic technology demonstrator
Zveno project – parasite fighters

Sweden[]

Saab 202 aerodynamic testbed for Saab 32 Lansen
Saab 210 aerodynamic testbed for Saab 35 Draken

Taiwan (Republic of China)[]

Chu Hummingbird - experimental helicopter

United Kingdom[]

Armstrong Whitworth Ape – aerodynamic test vehicle
Armstrong Whitworth A.W.52 - flying wing
Avro 707 – aerodynamic proof of concept for Avro Vulcan delta wing bomber
Avro Ashton – jet engine research vehicle based on Avro Tudor
BAC 221 – modified fairey Delta 2 for high speed delta research
Baynes Bat - experimental tailless glider
Blackburn B-20 - retractable hull seaplane
Boulton Paul P.6 – used for wing research
Boulton Paul P.92 – half scale proof of concept
Boulton Paul P.111 - delta wing research aircraft
Boulton Paul P.120 - delta wing research aircraft
Bristol 138 – high altitude research aircraft
Bristol 188 - high speed flight research
British Aerospace EAP – technology demonstrator
Cierva W.9 - experimental helicopter
de Havilland DH 108 Swallow – swept wing tailless transsonic research aircraft
English Electric P.1A - supersonic research aircraft
Fairey Delta 1 - delta wing research aircraft
Fairey Delta 2 - delta wing research aircraft
Fairey Jet Gyrodyne – jet powered rotor
Folland Fo.108 – engine test bed
General Aircraft GAL.56 - tailless swept wing glider
Gloster E.28/39 – early jet engine research
Gloster Meteor F8 "Prone Pilot" – prone position flight control research
Gloster Trent Meteor - turboprop propulsion
Hafner A.R.III Gyroplane – experimental autogyro
Handley Page H.P.17 – aerodynamic slot research
Handley Page H.P.20 – aerodynamic slot research
Handley Page H.P.75 Manx – tailless flight research
Handley Page HP.88 – supporting development of Handley Page Victor
Handley Page HP.115 – low speed delta wing research
Hawker P.1052 - swept wing testbed that led to the Hawker Hunter
Hawker P.1072 - testbed for Armstrong Siddeley Snarler rocket booster
Hawker P.1127 – experimental V/STOL combat aircraft development aircraft that led to the Hawker Harrier
Hillson Bi-mono – slip wing research
Hunting H.126 – blown flap research
Miles M.3E Gillette Falcon – high speed flight research
Miles M.30 – blended wing body design
Miles M.35 Libellula – tandem wing fighter testbed
Miles M.39B Libellula – tandem wing research
Miles M.52 – supersonic flight research
Parnall Parasol - wing pressure and aileron testing
Parnall Peto - experimental submarine launched aircraft.
Parnall Prawn - flying boat testing buried engine with variable angle thrust line
Reid and Sigrist R.S.4 Bobsleigh - prone-pilot research
Rolls-Royce Thrust Measuring Rig – low speed VTOL control test rig

Saro Shrimp - experimental half scale flying boat for development of cancelled Saunders-Roe S.38
Saunders-Roe SR.53 - mixed rocket/jet propulsion development aircraft for cancelled Saunders-Roe SR.177
Short Cockle – tested metal construction techniques for flying boat hulls
Short Mayo Composite – tested piggyback aircraft concept
Short Mussel – testing metal construction techniques for aircraft floats
Short S.6 Sturgeon – tested aluminium construction techniques for aircraft
Short S.31 - half scale model for Short Stirling development
Short SB.1 – tailess glider for isoclinic wing research
Short SB.4 Sherpa - improved, powered version of Short SB.1
Short SB.5 – prove/develop wing for English Electric Lightning
Short SC.1 – VTOL research
Short Silver Streak - stressed skin construction, developed into Short Springbok
Supermarine 508 – development aircraft with vee tail
Supermarine 525 - swept wing development aircraft for Supermarine Scimitar program
Cierva W.9 – helicopter with anti-torque jet efflux
Vickers Type 618 Nene-Viking – jet engine testbed
Vickers Type 470 and Type 486 Wellington – Whittle jet engine testbeds
Vickers Type 602 Wellington Mark X – Rolls Royce Dart turboprop testbed
Westland-Hill Pterodactyl - series of tailless monoplanes
Youngman-Baynes High Lift - testbed for Youngman flaps

United States[]

BellX-1 — Bell X-1 supersonic research aircraft

Bell-X5-Multiple — Bell X-5 variable sweep wing testbed

X-planes[]

Main article: List of X-planes

Bell X-1 sound barrier
Bell X-2 Mach 2–3 supersonic flight
Douglas X-3 Stiletto sustained supersonic flight
Northrop X-4 Bantam tailless aircraft
Bell X-5 variable-sweep wing
Convair X-6 nuclear reactor test aircraft (for future nuclear-powered aircraft)
Lockheed X-7 "flying stove pipe" unmanned ramjet and guidance test missile
Aerojet General X-8 sounding rocket (became Aerobee)
Bell X-9 Shrike guided missile
North American X-10 unmanned missile technology demonstrator
Convair X-11 single engine missile testbed for Atlas
Convair X-12 three engine missile testbed for Atlas
Ryan X-13 Vertijet tail sitter VTOL jet
Bell X-14 thrust vectoring VTOL jet
North American X-15 hypersonic rocket-powered research aircraft (Mach 6)
Lockheed X-17 research rocket testing high mach re-entry
Hiller X-18 tiltwing STOVL cargo aircraft
Curtiss-Wright X-19 VTOL tiltrotor
X-20 Dyna-Soar spaceplane program (cancelled)
Northrop X-21 laminar flow wing
Bell X-22 ducted fan V/STOL
Martin Marietta X-23 Prime lifting body reentry
Martin-Marietta X-24 lifting body test aircraft
Bensen X-25 single-seat autogyro
Schweizer X-26 Frigate sailplane
Lockheed X-27 Lancer proposed high-performance technology demonstrator based on Lockheed CL-1200 (only mockup built)
Pereira X-28A Sea Skimmer single-seat flying boat evaluated by US Navy

Grumman X-29 forward-swept wing test aircraft
Rockwell X-30 single stage to orbit spacecraft (cancelled)
Rockwell-MBB X-31 extreme angle of attack test aircraft
Boeing X-32 Joint Strike Fighter Program entry (lost to X-35)
Lockheed Martin X-33 unmanned scale demonstrator for VentureStar single stage to orbit spacecraft
Orbital Sciences X-34 reusable launch vehicle testbed (only unpowered prototype built)
Lockheed Martin X-35 Joint Strike Fighter Program entry winner; became F-35 Lightning II
McDonnell Douglas X-36 tailless fighter research agility aircraft
Boeing X-37 reusable unmanned spacecraft
NASA X-38 crew return vehicle for International Space Station (cancelled after tests)
X-39 reserved for USAF/DARPA program use
Boeing X-40 Space Maneuver Vehicle testbed X-37 guidance and flight characteristics
X-41 Common Aero Vehicle classified DARPA/NASA maneuvering re-entry vehicle
X-42 Pop-Up Upper Stage classified rocket upper stage
NASA X-43 Hyper-X hypersonic scramjet
Lockheed Martin X-44 MANTA multi-axis tailless aircraft concept
Boeing X-45 unmanned combat air vehicle
Boeing X-46 unmanned combat air vehicle (proposal only)
Northrop Grumman X-47 Pegasus unmanned combat air vehicle
Boeing X-48 blended wing aircraft
Sikorsky Piasecki X-49 compound helicopter technology demonstrator
Boeing X-50 Dragonfly gyrodyne unmanned aerial vehicle
Boeing X-51 Mach 7 scramjet
X-53 Active Aeroelastic Wing wing warping flight demonstrator
Gulfstream X-54 supersonic boom intensity research and demonstration aircraft
Lockheed Martin X-55 advanced composites technology demonstrator
Lockheed Martin X-56 flutter suppression and gust load testing unmanned testbed

Other US experimental aircraft[]

Jones0041c — Scaled Composites Proteus in flight during 2002 for US Department of Energy ARM-UAV program

Acme Sierra – pusher configuration
ALTUS, Pathfinder and Helios were NASA's NASA Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology experimental aircraft
AstroFlight Sunrise
Ball-Bartoe Jetwing – blown wing research
Bell D-292 – Advanced Composite Airframe Program
Bell L-39 – swept wing research
Bell Model 65 – tiltjet VTOL
Bell XV-15 – tiltrotor VTOL and precursor to V-22 Osprey.
Bell 533 – a modified UH-1B helicopter used by the US Army for experimentation with various high speed technology enhancements.
Budd BB-1 Pioneer – stainless steel construction
Burnelli RB-1 – lifting body proof of concept vehicle
Chrysler VZ-6 – ducted fan
Convair NB-36 – nuclear propelled aircraft testbed
Convair XF-92 Dart - delta wing jet
Curtiss-Wright VZ-7
Curtiss-Wright X-100 – tilt rotor VTOL (developed into X-200 and X-19)
Custer Channel Wings
DARPA Falcon Project
Doak VZ-4 – tiltfan VTOL
Douglas D-558-I Skystreak – supersonic research
Douglas D-558-II Skyrocket – supersonic research
Fairchild VZ-5 – deflected air VTOL
Farrar LSG-1 Bird Flight Machine

Gee Bee Model Q – canard built to test concept^[1]^[2]
General Dynamics F-16XL – cranked wing
General Dynamics F-16 VISTA – variable stability
Gossamer Albatross – human powered flight
Gossamer Condor – human powered flight
Hiller VZ-1 Pawnee – direct lift rotor platform
Kaman K-125 – experimental intermesh rotor helicopter
Kaman K-16 – modified Grumman Goose Xused for V/STOL research
Lockheed Altair8-G – twinned engine testbed (both engines were in a single cowl)
Lockheed Have Blue – Stealth technology demonstrator
Lockheed Vega Winnie Mae – high altitude research – confirmed existence of jet stream
Lockheed QT-2 – Quiet Thruster noise suppression experiments
Lockheed XC-35 – pressurized cabin development

Lockheed XV-4 Hummingbird – jetlift VTOL
LTV XC-142 – VTOL transport
Martin 162A Tadpole Clipper – proof of concept aircraft
Martin XB-26H Marauder – tandem undercarriage
NASA AD-1 Oblique Wing
NASA Hyper III
NASA M2-F1 - lifting body/re-entry vehicle
NASA Pathfinder - solar powered aircraft
Northrop F-5 Shaped Sonic Boom Demonstrator – shockwave reduction

Airshowfan-dot-com--by-Bernardo-Malfitano--Image-of-N9M-at-Chino-Airshow — Northrop N-9M flying wing

Northrop HL-10 – lifting body/re-entry vehicle research
Northrop M2-F2 – lifting body/re-entry vehicle research
Northrop M2-F3 – lifting body/re-entry vehicle research
Northrop N-1M – flying wing research
Northrop N-9M – flying wing proof of concept aircraft for Northrop YB-35
Northrop Tacit Blue – Stealth technology demonstrator
Piasecki PV-2 – helicopter technology demonstrator
Piasecki VZ-8 Airgeep – liftfan VTOL research
Piasecki X-49 – experimental compound helicopter
Republic XF-84H "Thunderscreech" – supersonic propellor
Republic XF-91 Thunderceptor – inversely tapered swept wing
Rockwell HiMAT - Maneuverability and control research
Rotary Rocket Roton
Ryan VZ-3 Vertiplane – blown flap VTOL research
Ryan XV-5 Vertifan – fan lift VTOL research
Sawyer Skyjacker II – Low aspect ratio research aircraft

Scaled Composites Proteus - telecommunication relay testbed
Schweizer SGS 1-29 - laminar flow research
Sikorsky S-69 – compound co-axial research
Sikorsky S-72 – helicopter/aircraft hybrid research
Sikorsky S-75 – Advanced Composite Aircraft Program
Sikorsky S-76 SHADOW – Sikorsky Helicopter Advanced Demonstrator and Operator Workload
Stinson L-1 Vigilant – 1 example modified for boundary layer experiments
Travel Air 2000 Besler steam aircraft
Vertol VZ-2 – tilt wing VTOL research
Vought V-173 "Flying Pancake" – disk wing research for Vought XF5U
Vought V-326^[3] – high altitude test aircraft
Vought-Sikorsky VS-300 – helicopter

References[]

↑ Harrison, Ronald W., Gee Bee Ascender, Journal AAHS Fall 1984, p 190-191
↑ Hannan, Bill, le Gee Bee qui volait a l'envers, Le Fanatique de l' Aviation, No 161, page numbers unknown
↑ Eckland, K.O. (2009-04-25). "Aerofiles Vought (Chance Vought), Lewis & Vought, Vought-Sikorsky". USA: Aerofiles.com. http://aerofiles.com/_vot.html. Retrieved 20 September 2011.

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The original article can be found at List of experimental aircraft and the edit history here.

[1] Harrison, Ronald W., Gee Bee Ascender, Journal AAHS Fall 1984, p 190-191

[2] Hannan, Bill, le Gee Bee qui volait a l'envers, Le Fanatique de l' Aviation, No 161, page numbers unknown

[Vought-3] Eckland, K.O. (2009-04-25). "Aerofiles Vought (Chance Vought), Lewis & Vought, Vought-Sikorsky". USA: Aerofiles.com. http://aerofiles.com/_vot.html. Retrieved 20 September 2011.

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