Page 17 - The Future of Aerospace is X - X-Planes 2021

X-29 Advanced Technology Demonstrator Aircraft Boeing X-32/Lockheed Martin X-35

The Grumman X-29 was an Ameri- airfoil; strake flaps; close-coupled ca- Research Projects Agency and the The Joint Strike Fighter has been the aircraft. To achieve this, the engine span was narrower to reduce weight.
can experimental aircraft that tested nards; and a computerized fly-by-wire U.S. Air Force issued proposals for a described as the largest single defense was located in the front portion of the After the X-32 design was frozen,
a forward-swept wing, canard control flight control system to maintain con- research aircraft designed to explore program in history, with a potential fuselage, with the vectoring nozzles the planned Model 375 production
surfaces, and other novel aircraft tech- trol of the otherwise unstable aircraft. the forward-swept wing concept. The market for 5,000-8,000 aircraft worth immediately behind it, and a long ex- version continued to evolve, gaining a
nologies. The X-29 was developed Research results showed that the aircraft was also intended to validate over $200 billion, when all potential haust duct leading back to the after- conventional horizontal stabilizer and
by Grumman, and the two built were configuration of forward-swept wings, studies that predicted better control and export orders are included. burner and pitch-axis thrust vectoring a stubby swept wing rather than the
flown by NASA and the U.S. Air Force. coupled with movable canards, gave lift qualities in extreme maneuvers and In November 1996, Boeing and nozzle at the rear. The engine position original delta wing. The engine intake
The aerodynamic instability of pilots excellent control response at up possibly reduce aerodynamic drag, as Lockheed Martin were awarded con- and overall dimension limitations dic- cowl was also raked backward rather
the X-29s airframe required the use to 45 degrees angle of attack, higher well as fly more efficiently at cruise tracts to build two Concept Demon- tated a very short nose. than forward.
of computerized fly-by-wire con- than comparable fighter aircraft. Dur- speeds. strator Aircraft — one CTOL version For the two CDA aircraft, the des-
trol. Composite materials were used to ing its flight history, X-29s were flown Grumman was chosen in December and one STOVL version — each. The ignation X-32A was allocated to Lockheed Martin X-35
control the aeroelastic divergent twist- on 422 research missions. Aircraft No. 1981 to receive an $87 million contract aircraft were not intended to be fighter the CTOL version and X-32B to the The X-35 was the Lockheed Martin
ing experienced by forward-swept 1 flew 242 in the Phase 1 portion of to build two X-29 aircraft. They were to prototypes, but rather to prove that the STOVL version. Unlike the Lockheed Joint Strike Fighter demonstrator, com-
wings, and to reduce weight. The air- the program; 120 flights were flown by become the first new X-series aircraft selected design concepts would work, Martin X-35, there were no airframe peting with the Boeing X-32.
craft first flew in 1984, and two X-29s aircraft No. 2 in Phase 2; and 60 flights in more than a decade. First flight of the hence the use of X designations. changes required to demonstrate U.S. The initial X-35A reflected the basic
were flight tested through 1991. were completed in a follow-on “vortex No. 1 X-29 was Dec. 14, 1984, while Boeing was assigned X-32 while Navy aircraft carrier (CV/CTOL) ap- Air Force CTOL design, and was used
The aircraft’s forward-swept wings control” phase. the No. 2 aircraft first flew on May 23, Lockheed Martin received the desig- proach capabilities — the X-32A per- for early flights before being modified
were mounted well back on the fuse- 1989. nation X-35. formed both roles. into the STOVL version, designated
lage, while its canards (horizontal sta- Before World War II, some gliders The X-32A featured a non-moving X-35B. While Boeing proposed a di-
bilizers to control pitch) were in front with forward-swept wings existed, and Flight control system Boeing X-32 intake and wide-span wings with ac- rect lift STOVL design based on that
of the wings instead of on the tail. The the the National Advisory Commit- The flight control surfaces on the The Boeing X-32 used a novel air- centuated tip extensions. The X-32B used in the Harrier, Lockheed opted
complex geometries of the wings and tee for Aeronautics (NACA) Langley NASA photograph X-29 were the forward-mounted ca- frame shape combined with a direct- featured a moving intake cowl that for a different approach in meeting the
canards combined to provide excep- Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory in nards, which shared the lifting load lift STOVL configuration. The Harrier- translated forward during hover to al- vertical flight requirements. Inspired
tional maneuverability, supersonic Virginia, performed wind-tunnel stud- This photo shows the X-29 during a 1991 research flight. Smoke generators with the wings and provided primary style direct lift concept required the lift low more air into the engine. The fuse- by the Russian Yak-141, the X-35B Air Force photograph
in the nose of the aircraft were used to help researchers see the behavior of
performance and a light structure. Air ies on the concept in 1931. the air flowing over the aircraft. The smoke here is demonstrating forebody pitch control. The wing flaperons (com- nozzles to be on the center of gravity of lage was slightly shorter and the wing incorporated a separate lift-fan that The X-35 Joint Strike Fighter demonstrator performs flight tests at Edwards
moving over the forward-swept wings Germany developed a jet-powered vortex flow. This mission was flown Sept. 10, 1991, by NASA research pilot bination flaps and ailerons) were used was shaft-driven by the F119 engine, Air Force Base, Calif.
tended to flow inward toward the root aircraft with forward-swept wings, the Rogers Smith. to change wing camber and function allowing cooler exhaust temperatures
of the wing instead of outward toward Junkers Ju-287, during the war. The as ailerons for roll control when used during hover. There are a number of differences gram partners — the United States,
the wing tip as occurs on an aft-swept concept, however, was not successful asymmetrically. In addition, the strake While the Boeing design was more between the X-35 and F-35, which United Kingdom, Italy, Netherlands,
wing. This reverse airflow kept the because the technology and materials ness jet to use a forward-swept-wing. The X-29’s thin supercritical wing flaps on each side of the rudder aug- conventional, Lockheed argued that was designed to be an operational Australia, Norway, Denmark and Cana-
wing tips and their ailerons from stall- did not exist to construct the wing rigid The introduction of composite ma- was of composite construction. State- mented the canards with pitch control. their strategy was better in the long weapon system. The forward fuselage da. Six Foreign Military Sales custom-
ing at high angles of attack (direction enough to overcome bending and twist- terials in the 1970s opened a new field of-the-art composites permit aeroelastic The control surfaces were linked elec- term since it offered more room for was lengthened by 5 inches to make ers are also procuring and operating the
of the fuselage relative to the air flow). ing forces without making the aircraft of aircraft construction, making it pos- tailoring, which allows the wing some tronically to a triple-redundant digital growth as the aircraft evolves. The sec- room for mission avionics, while the F-35 — Israel, Japan, South Korea, Po-
The fighter-size X-29 also explored too heavy. Hamburger Flugzuebau de- sible to design rugged airframes and bending but limits twisting and elimi- fly-by-wire flight control system that ond airframe was the X-35C STOVL horizontal stabilizers were correspond- land, Belgium and Singapore. On June
the use of advanced composites in signed and built the Hansa Jet HFB-320 structures stronger than those made of nates structural divergence within the provided an artificial stability. demonstrator for the Navy. This model ingly moved 2 inches aft to retain bal- 30, 2021, Switzerland announced it
aircraft construction; variable camber in the early 1960s; the aircraft first flew conventional materials, yet lightweight flight envelope (deformation of the The particular forward-swept wing, featured an enlarged wing of greater ance and control. The diverterless su- would purchase the F-35A; and while
wing surfaces; the unique forward- in 1964. The company built 45 HFB- and able to withstand tremendous aero- wing or breaking off in flight). span and area for larger fuel capac- personic inlet cowl shape changed from it was announced in 2020 that the
swept wing and its thin supercritical 320s, the only certified civilian busi- dynamic forces. In 1977, the Defense Advanced See X-29, Page 19 ity, as well as enlarged horizontal tails a four-sided to a three-sided shape and
and flaperons for greater control ef- was moved 30 inches aft. To accom- United States would sell the United
fectiveness during low-speed carrier modate weapons bays, the fuselage Arab Emirates the F-35 under the For-
Air Force photograph approaches. section was fuller with the top surface eign Military Sales program, there is
The Boeing Joint Strike Fighter X-32B demonstrator lifts off on its maiden The X-35 was selected as the win- raised by 1 inch along the centerline. Congressional action that could limit
flight from the company’s facility in Palmdale, Calif. Following a series of initial ner of the JSF competition on Oct. 26, Following the designation of the X-35 or cancel that agreement. Turkey was
airworthiness tests, the X-32B, with Boeing JSF lead STOVL test pilot Dennis 2001. prototypes, the three variants were once part of the F-35 program, but was
O’Donoghue at the controls, landed at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. The The production aircraft is desig- designated F-35A (CTOL), F-35B expelled in July 2019, after the Turkish
X-32B completed a number of test flights at Edwards before moving to Naval nated the F-35, and was later given the (STOVL), and F-35C (CV). government bought the Russian S-400
Air Station Patuxent River, Md., for the majority of STOVL testing.
named F-35 Lightning II. There are eight international pro- air defense system.

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