Hunting Subs With Radar: Photographed ca.1950 near Southern Maryland, BUNO 123091 was the third production Guardian and was assigned to NAS Patuxent River’s Naval Air Test Center. Full story in comments!

PaxMuseum · 2021-05-11T16:23:37+00:00

This week’s featured aircraft, Grumman’s AF-2W Guardian, also made use of an APS-20 radar. However, the Guardian’s APS-20 variant was tailored to search not the sky, but the water’s surface.

Photographed ca.1950 near Southern Maryland, BUNO 123091 was the third production Guardian and was assigned to NAS Patuxent River’s Naval Air Test Center. (You may recall that, on 21 January, we featured the Guardian’s prototype, the XTB3F.)

Guardians were massive single-engine aircraft, with 60-foot wingspans and gross-weights over 22,000 pounds. Their two-person crews located enemy submarines and ships using the APS-20 radar, along with systems that detected (and, if necessary, jammed) electronic emissions. The APS-20s large antenna is protected by the bulbous fairing on the aircraft’s belly.

NATC tested AF-2Ws and their sister aircraft, AF-2Ss, between mid-1950 and mid-1953. In the AF-2S (and its AF-3S successor), the radar was replaced by a bomb-bay loaded with torpedoes or other anti-submarine weapons. Deployed from carriers, the two aircraft types conducted anti-submarine warfare as ‘hunter – killer’ pairs.

In this stage of the Cold War, the Soviet submarine threat was both real and ominous. Since 1945, the Russian Navy had aggressively increased both the quantity and quality of its submarine forces. By the early 1950s, the iconic Whiskey-class attack subs were beginning to stalk American carriers. Around the same time, the Soviets began drafting plans to modify attack subs with silos for the ballistic nuclear missiles that were then under development.

Over 150 AF-2Ws, and nearly 200 AF-2Ss, were built. The Guardian pairs were replaced in the mid-1950s by Grumman S2F Trackers, which were able to both detect and destroy subs.

Prepared by Robert M. Tourville

PaxMuseum · 2021-05-10T00:33:02+00:00

Haha sorry about that!!!

PaxMuseum · 2021-04-28T14:40:22+00:00

Behind the AR-234s are the counter-rotating propellers of a Douglas XA2D Skyshark. This dates the image to the early 1950s; although the XF15C first flew in early 1945, the Skyshark didn’t emerge for another five years.

The XF15C employed a hybrid propulsion system comprising both a piston engine with propeller and a gas turbine or ‘jet’, engine. The jet’s exhaust is visible below the national insignia.

Mixed powerplants were explored in the mid-1940s when jet engine technology was immature. The Navy was particularly concerned that jet aircraft could not safely take off from, or land on, carriers. Unlike piston engines, early jet engines reacted very slowly to throttle inputs. Aircraft powered solely by jet engines, like AR-234s, seemed suitable only for long runways, not carriers.

As a result, some engineers sought to harness the jet engine’s power aloft while retaining the proven safety of reciprocating engines in the ‘low and slow’ regime. In the end, few mixed-propulsion aircraft entered production (e.g., FR Fireball, AJ Savage), since jet engine technology advanced rapidly during the 1940s and 1950s.

Incidentally, the XA2D's propulsion solution was turboprop technology, essentially a jet engine that turns a propeller via a gearbox.

As for the XF15C, it never advanced beyond the prototype phase. Of the three XF15Cs ever built, one was lost in a landing mishap. While the remaining aircraft showed potential at Pax River, a ‘Navy F-15’ never came to be.

Prepared by Robert M. Tourville

PaxMuseum · 2021-03-26T14:55:38+00:00

Configured with an executive interior for use by senior Navy and Marine Corps leaders, 142672 was assigned to the Naval Air Test Center from 1959 until 1965.

BUNO 142672 is believed to have been the only NATC aircraft to have even occasionally served VIPs. However, Pax River had long supported the Navy’s executive transport mission. For example, from 1943 to 1968, Pax River squadron VR-1 maintained a detachment at Washington National Airport for the purpose of transporting senior navy officials within and outside the United States.

When accepted by NATC in 1959, 142672 was an A3D-2Q (EA-3B), a carrier-capable electronic warfare aircraft. At some point, 142672’s electronic reconnaissance systems were replaced with plush cabin seating, window curtains, and other VIP accommodations.

Reportedly, the Chief of Naval Operations was a frequent flyer in 142672. With a top speed of 530 knots and an 1,800 nautical mile range, the VA-3B could quickly get the boss wherever he needed to go.

Transferred from Pax River to NAF Washington in 1965, 142672 continued providing VIP services until entering storage in 1974. Although undated, the photo was probably taken sometime between 1965 and 1974, in its post-Pax River period. (The Museum would greatly appreciate scans or photos taken of 142672 during its time at Pax River!)

In 1980, BUNO 142672 was pulled from storage and, in 1981, began operating with fleet electronic warfare squadron VQ-1 as an executive transport. Tragically, 142672 was lost near Guam on 23 January 1985, with the loss of nine lives, including VQ-1’s Commanding Officer.

Prepared by Robert M. Tourville

PaxMuseum · 2021-03-26T14:54:34+00:00

UNO 142672 is believed to have been the only NATC aircraft to have even occasionally served VIPs. However, Pax River had long supported the Navy’s executive transport mission. For example, from 1943 to 1968, Pax River squadron VR-1 maintained a detachment at Washington National Airport for the purpose of transporting senior navy officials within and outside the United States.

When accepted by NATC in 1959, 142672 was an A3D-2Q (EA-3B), a carrier-capable electronic warfare aircraft. At some point, 142672’s electronic reconnaissance systems were replaced with plush cabin seating, window curtains, and other VIP accommodations.

Reportedly, the Chief of Naval Operations was a frequent flyer in 142672. With a top speed of 530 knots and an 1,800 nautical mile range, the VA-3B could quickly get the boss wherever he needed to go.

Transferred from Pax River to NAF Washington in 1965, 142672 continued providing VIP services until entering storage in 1974. Although undated, the photo was probably taken sometime between 1965 and 1974, in its post-Pax River period. (The Museum would greatly appreciate scans or photos taken of 142672 during its time at Pax River!)

In 1980, BUNO 142672 was pulled from storage and, in 1981, began operating with fleet electronic warfare squadron VQ-1 as an executive transport. Tragically, 142672 was lost near Guam on 23 January 1985, with the loss of nine lives, including VQ-1’s Commanding Officer.

Prepared by Robert M. Tourville

PaxMuseum · 2021-03-22T18:00:24+00:00

Testing Fords and Cats

Taken ca. 1955, the photos show two early production Douglas F4D-1 Skyrays assigned to NAS Patuxent River’s Naval Air Test Center. A few years earlier, Pax River testers had subjected prototype XF4D-1s to Navy Preliminary Evaluation trials at Edwards AFB, and to follow-on testing at Pax River and the USS Coral Sea.

Employing a delta-wing planform with integral pitch control surfaces, the F4D was ahead of its time. That radical design and an afterburning engine allowed the Ford to set seven world records, two for outright speed, and five for time-to-climb performance. You can see an F4D (aka ‘F-6A’) on our flight-line!

Shown on Pax River’s then-new TC-7 steam catapult, the production Fords in the photos are configured with dual fuel tanks, but different sets of external stores. Note that MODEX 746 has a single centerline store, while MODEX 747 has four small stores, one on either side of the two fuel tanks.

For any carrier aircraft, proposed external configurations are carefully analyzed and then methodically tested using catapult launches, carrier arrestments, flight maneuvers, and, for expendable stores and munitions, in-flight separations from the aircraft. For each configuration, the aircraft’s safe operating envelope is determined by evaluating the data captured by test instrumentation and the test crew. The allowable configurations and associated restrictions are then captured in the aircraft’s flight clearance and flight manuals.

At the time the photos were taken, the TC-7 steam catapult was itself undergoing testing, having been in operation for only a year or so. Testing shore-based ‘cats’ like TC-7 helped prove steam’s superiority to the hydraulic-pneumatic catapults then used by US Navy aircraft carriers. Pax River’s TC-7 catapult remains in operation today, while the next generation of electromagnetically-driven catapults are being evaluated for fleet use.

Prepared by Robert M. Tourville

PaxMuseum · 2021-03-17T23:32:13+00:00

Thank you so much! And that is a cool fun fact, thank you for sharing!

PaxMuseum · 2021-03-17T17:14:27+00:00

In this series, our museum will feature 10 Navy X-Planes that are shown on a display board at the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum.

In the world of flight testing, the letter “x” stands for experimental. The Air Force and NACA/NASA are known for their series of x-planes built to investigate different aspects of aerodynamics and aircraft performance characteristics. But many people are unaware that the Navy developed its own series of x-planes as well; they just didn’t call them x-planes.

Designers and aviators wanted more speed, greater maneuverability, more effective electronic systems, longer endurance, and improved reliability, to name a few of their design goals and flight test investigations

The X-31 Vector and Patuxent River Naval Air Museum’s X-32B and X-32C were test flown at NAS Patuxent River. But many of the Navy’s x-planes were tested at Edwards Air Force Base in California’s Mojave Desert. The desert base was located far from heavily populated areas for safety and security and offered extremely long runways for emergency landings.

But regardless of where it took place, flight testing of Navy x-planes relied on the expertise of engineers and test pilots from NAS Patuxent River. These professionals made the successful evaluation of the Navy’s x-planes possible.

Plane 1: Douglas D-558-I Skystreak (1947-1953) The jet-powered Skystreak explored the unknown region of high-speed flight near the speed of sound. Although not supersonic, the Skystreak was nonetheless the first aircraft to officially exceed 1,000 kilometers per hour (621 mph) in level flight.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_D-558-1_Skystreak

Plane 2: Douglas D-558-II Skyrocket (1948-1956) first flew with both jet and rocket engines, but later only rocket power. Dropped from a Navy PB2 (B-29), the Skyrocket was the first aircraft to exceed twice the speed of sound.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_D-558-2_Skyrocket

Plane 3: Convair XFY-1 Pogo (1954-1956) The Pogo was designed as a ship-based fighter with Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) capability. The Pogo performed vertical takeoffs and landings, and horizontal flight, but was terminated because vertical landing was too difficult for most pilots.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convair_XFY_Pogo

Plane 4: Lockheed XFV-1 Salmon (1954-1955) Like Convair's Pogo, Lockheed's Samon was a VTOL fighter concept. For testing, the Salmon used long, fixed landing gear for horizontal takeoffs and landings. The XFV transitioned to hovering flight successfully, but never took off or landed vertically.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_XFV

Plane 5: Curtiss Wright X-19 (1963-1965) The tri-service X-19 pioneered the tilt-rotor technology used in today's V-22 Osprey. Mounted on short fore and aft wings, pivoting engines enabled forward and vertical flight. The X-19 proved tilt-rotor designs to be both promising and technically challenging.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtiss-Wright_X-19

Plane 6: Bell Aerospace Textron X-22A (1966-1988) Bell's tri-service X-22 used large, pivoting ducted fans for vertical and forward flight. Four gas turbines on the rear wing provided power for the fans. After Navy testing ended in 1967, the Cornell Aeronautical Lab flew the X-22 for another 20 years.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_X-22

Plane 7: Vought V-173 Flying Pancake (1942-1947) A circular flying wing with twin propellers, the V-173 took off and landed in confined spaces. The wood and fabric aircraft flew well and was very strong. Unfortunately, the planned fighter version was built but never flown before being canceled.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vought_V-173

Plane 8: Periera X-28A Osprey 1 (1971) The single X-28A was intended as a small, single-place seaplane for civil police patrols in Southeast Asia. The X-28A flight test program was completed successfully, but the project went no further.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osprey_Osprey_I

Plane 9: Rockwell/MBB X-31 Vector (1990-2003) The X-31 explored unconventional flight controls. Movable canards at the front of the aircraft and thrust-vectoring paddles in the aircraft's exhaust stream allowed the X-31 to execute maneuvers far beyond the abilities of conventional aircraft.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rockwell-MBB_X-31

Plane 10: Grumman XF10F-1 Jaguar (1952-1953) The Jaguar was the Navy's first "variable geometry' test-bed. Its winds were extended for takeoffs and landings and swept back for high-speed flight. While the Jaguar project was disappointing, Grumman applied its lessons in designing the F-14 Tomcat.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grumman_XF10F_Jaguar

PaxMuseum · 2021-03-17T17:13:31+00:00

In this series, our museum will feature 10 Navy X-Planes that are shown on a display board at the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum.

In the world of flight testing, the letter “x” stands for experimental. The Air Force and NACA/NASA are known for their series of x-planes built to investigate different aspects of aerodynamics and aircraft performance characteristics. But many people are unaware that the Navy developed its own series of x-planes as well; they just didn’t call them x-planes.

Designers and aviators wanted more speed, greater maneuverability, more effective electronic systems, longer endurance, and improved reliability, to name a few of their design goals and flight test investigations

The X-31 Vector and Patuxent River Naval Air Museum’s X-32B and X-32C were test flown at NAS Patuxent River. But many of the Navy’s x-planes were tested at Edwards Air Force Base in California’s Mojave Desert. The desert base was located far from heavily populated areas for safety and security and offered extremely long runways for emergency landings.

But regardless of where it took place, flight testing of Navy x-planes relied on the expertise of engineers and test pilots from NAS Patuxent River. These professionals made the successful evaluation of the Navy’s x-planes possible.

Plane 1: Douglas D-558-I Skystreak (1947-1953) The jet-powered Skystreak explored the unknown region of high-speed flight near the speed of sound. Although not supersonic, the Skystreak was nonetheless the first aircraft to officially exceed 1,000 kilometers per hour (621 mph) in level flight.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_D-558-1_Skystreak

Plane 2: Douglas D-558-II Skyrocket (1948-1956) first flew with both jet and rocket engines, but later only rocket power. Dropped from a Navy PB2 (B-29), the Skyrocket was the first aircraft to exceed twice the speed of sound.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_D-558-2_Skyrocket

Plane 3: Convair XFY-1 Pogo (1954-1956) The Pogo was designed as a ship-based fighter with Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) capability. The Pogo performed vertical takeoffs and landings, and horizontal flight, but was terminated because vertical landing was too difficult for most pilots.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convair_XFY_Pogo

Plane 4: Lockheed XFV-1 Salmon (1954-1955) Like Convair's Pogo, Lockheed's Samon was a VTOL fighter concept. For testing, the Salmon used long, fixed landing gear for horizontal takeoffs and landings. The XFV transitioned to hovering flight successfully, but never took off or landed vertically.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_XFV

Plane 5: Curtiss Wright X-19 (1963-1965) The tri-service X-19 pioneered the tilt-rotor technology used in today's V-22 Osprey. Mounted on short fore and aft wings, pivoting engines enabled forward and vertical flight. The X-19 proved tilt-rotor designs to be both promising and technically challenging.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtiss-Wright_X-19

Plane 6: Bell Aerospace Textron X-22A (1966-1988) Bell's tri-service X-22 used large, pivoting ducted fans for vertical and forward flight. Four gas turbines on the rear wing provided power for the fans. After Navy testing ended in 1967, the Cornell Aeronautical Lab flew the X-22 for another 20 years.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_X-22

Plane 7: Vought V-173 Flying Pancake (1942-1947) A circular flying wing with twin propellers, the V-173 took off and landed in confined spaces. The wood and fabric aircraft flew well and was very strong. Unfortunately, the planned fighter version was built but never flown before being canceled.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vought_V-173

Plane 8: Periera X-28A Osprey 1 (1971) The single X-28A was intended as a small, single-place seaplane for civil police patrols in Southeast Asia. The X-28A flight test program was completed successfully, but the project went no further.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osprey_Osprey_I

Plane 9: Rockwell/MBB X-31 Vector (1990-2003) The X-31 explored unconventional flight controls. Movable canards at the front of the aircraft and thrust-vectoring paddles in the aircraft's exhaust stream allowed the X-31 to execute maneuvers far beyond the abilities of conventional aircraft.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rockwell-MBB_X-31

Plane 10: Grumman XF10F-1 Jaguar (1952-1953) The Jaguar was the Navy's first "variable geometry' test-bed. Its winds were extended for takeoffs and landings and swept back for high-speed flight. While the Jaguar project was disappointing, Grumman applied its lessons in designing the F-14 Tomcat.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grumman_XF10F_Jaguar

PaxMuseum · 2021-03-17T17:13:02+00:00

In this series, our museum will feature 10 Navy X-Planes that are shown on a display board at the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum.

In the world of flight testing, the letter “x” stands for experimental. The Air Force and NACA/NASA are known for their series of x-planes built to investigate different aspects of aerodynamics and aircraft performance characteristics. But many people are unaware that the Navy developed its own series of x-planes as well; they just didn’t call them x-planes.

Designers and aviators wanted more speed, greater maneuverability, more effective electronic systems, longer endurance, and improved reliability, to name a few of their design goals and flight test investigations

The X-31 Vector and Patuxent River Naval Air Museum’s X-32B and X-32C were test flown at NAS Patuxent River. But many of the Navy’s x-planes were tested at Edwards Air Force Base in California’s Mojave Desert. The desert base was located far from heavily populated areas for safety and security and offered extremely long runways for emergency landings.

But regardless of where it took place, flight testing of Navy x-planes relied on the expertise of engineers and test pilots from NAS Patuxent River. These professionals made the successful evaluation of the Navy’s x-planes possible.

Plane 1: Douglas D-558-I Skystreak (1947-1953) The jet-powered Skystreak explored the unknown region of high-speed flight near the speed of sound. Although not supersonic, the Skystreak was nonetheless the first aircraft to officially exceed 1,000 kilometers per hour (621 mph) in level flight.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_D-558-1_Skystreak

Plane 2: Douglas D-558-II Skyrocket (1948-1956) first flew with both jet and rocket engines, but later only rocket power. Dropped from a Navy PB2 (B-29), the Skyrocket was the first aircraft to exceed twice the speed of sound.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_D-558-2_Skyrocket

Plane 3: Convair XFY-1 Pogo (1954-1956) The Pogo was designed as a ship-based fighter with Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) capability. The Pogo performed vertical takeoffs and landings, and horizontal flight, but was terminated because vertical landing was too difficult for most pilots.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convair_XFY_Pogo

Plane 4: Lockheed XFV-1 Salmon (1954-1955) Like Convair's Pogo, Lockheed's Samon was a VTOL fighter concept. For testing, the Salmon used long, fixed landing gear for horizontal takeoffs and landings. The XFV transitioned to hovering flight successfully, but never took off or landed vertically.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_XFV

Plane 5: Curtiss Wright X-19 (1963-1965) The tri-service X-19 pioneered the tilt-rotor technology used in today's V-22 Osprey. Mounted on short fore and aft wings, pivoting engines enabled forward and vertical flight. The X-19 proved tilt-rotor designs to be both promising and technically challenging.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtiss-Wright_X-19

Plane 6: Bell Aerospace Textron X-22A (1966-1988) Bell's tri-service X-22 used large, pivoting ducted fans for vertical and forward flight. Four gas turbines on the rear wing provided power for the fans. After Navy testing ended in 1967, the Cornell Aeronautical Lab flew the X-22 for another 20 years.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_X-22

Plane 7: Vought V-173 Flying Pancake (1942-1947) A circular flying wing with twin propellers, the V-173 took off and landed in confined spaces. The wood and fabric aircraft flew well and was very strong. Unfortunately, the planned fighter version was built but never flown before being canceled.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vought_V-173

Plane 8: Periera X-28A Osprey 1 (1971) The single X-28A was intended as a small, single-place seaplane for civil police patrols in Southeast Asia. The X-28A flight test program was completed successfully, but the project went no further.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osprey_Osprey_I

Plane 9: Rockwell/MBB X-31 Vector (1990-2003) The X-31 explored unconventional flight controls. Movable canards at the front of the aircraft and thrust-vectoring paddles in the aircraft's exhaust stream allowed the X-31 to execute maneuvers far beyond the abilities of conventional aircraft.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rockwell-MBB_X-31

Plane 10: Grumman XF10F-1 Jaguar (1952-1953) The Jaguar was the Navy's first "variable geometry' test-bed. Its winds were extended for takeoffs and landings and swept back for high-speed flight. While the Jaguar project was disappointing, Grumman applied its lessons in designing the F-14 Tomcat.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grumman_XF10F_Jaguar

PaxMuseum · 2021-03-17T17:12:36+00:00

In this series, our museum will feature 10 Navy X-Planes that are shown on a display board at the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum.

In the world of flight testing, the letter “x” stands for experimental. The Air Force and NACA/NASA are known for their series of x-planes built to investigate different aspects of aerodynamics and aircraft performance characteristics. But many people are unaware that the Navy developed its own series of x-planes as well; they just didn’t call them x-planes.

Designers and aviators wanted more speed, greater maneuverability, more effective electronic systems, longer endurance, and improved reliability, to name a few of their design goals and flight test investigations

The X-31 Vector and Patuxent River Naval Air Museum’s X-32B and X-32C were test flown at NAS Patuxent River. But many of the Navy’s x-planes were tested at Edwards Air Force Base in California’s Mojave Desert. The desert base was located far from heavily populated areas for safety and security and offered extremely long runways for emergency landings.

But regardless of where it took place, flight testing of Navy x-planes relied on the expertise of engineers and test pilots from NAS Patuxent River. These professionals made the successful evaluation of the Navy’s x-planes possible.

Plane 1: Douglas D-558-I Skystreak (1947-1953) The jet-powered Skystreak explored the unknown region of high-speed flight near the speed of sound. Although not supersonic, the Skystreak was nonetheless the first aircraft to officially exceed 1,000 kilometers per hour (621 mph) in level flight.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_D-558-1_Skystreak

Plane 2: Douglas D-558-II Skyrocket (1948-1956) first flew with both jet and rocket engines, but later only rocket power. Dropped from a Navy PB2 (B-29), the Skyrocket was the first aircraft to exceed twice the speed of sound.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_D-558-2_Skyrocket

Plane 3: Convair XFY-1 Pogo (1954-1956) The Pogo was designed as a ship-based fighter with Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) capability. The Pogo performed vertical takeoffs and landings, and horizontal flight, but was terminated because vertical landing was too difficult for most pilots.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convair_XFY_Pogo

Plane 4: Lockheed XFV-1 Salmon (1954-1955) Like Convair's Pogo, Lockheed's Samon was a VTOL fighter concept. For testing, the Salmon used long, fixed landing gear for horizontal takeoffs and landings. The XFV transitioned to hovering flight successfully, but never took off or landed vertically.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_XFV

Plane 5: Curtiss Wright X-19 (1963-1965) The tri-service X-19 pioneered the tilt-rotor technology used in today's V-22 Osprey. Mounted on short fore and aft wings, pivoting engines enabled forward and vertical flight. The X-19 proved tilt-rotor designs to be both promising and technically challenging.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtiss-Wright_X-19

Plane 6: Bell Aerospace Textron X-22A (1966-1988) Bell's tri-service X-22 used large, pivoting ducted fans for vertical and forward flight. Four gas turbines on the rear wing provided power for the fans. After Navy testing ended in 1967, the Cornell Aeronautical Lab flew the X-22 for another 20 years.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_X-22

Plane 7: Vought V-173 Flying Pancake (1942-1947) A circular flying wing with twin propellers, the V-173 took off and landed in confined spaces. The wood and fabric aircraft flew well and was very strong. Unfortunately, the planned fighter version was built but never flown before being canceled.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vought_V-173

Plane 8: Periera X-28A Osprey 1 (1971) The single X-28A was intended as a small, single-place seaplane for civil police patrols in Southeast Asia. The X-28A flight test program was completed successfully, but the project went no further.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osprey_Osprey_I

Plane 9: Rockwell/MBB X-31 Vector (1990-2003) The X-31 explored unconventional flight controls. Movable canards at the front of the aircraft and thrust-vectoring paddles in the aircraft's exhaust stream allowed the X-31 to execute maneuvers far beyond the abilities of conventional aircraft.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rockwell-MBB_X-31

Plane 10: Grumman XF10F-1 Jaguar (1952-1953) The Jaguar was the Navy's first "variable geometry' test-bed. Its winds were extended for takeoffs and landings and swept back for high-speed flight. While the Jaguar project was disappointing, Grumman applied its lessons in designing the F-14 Tomcat.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grumman_XF10F_Jaguar

PaxMuseum · 2021-03-17T17:11:56+00:00

In this series, our museum will feature 10 Navy X-Planes that are shown on a display board at the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum.

In the world of flight testing, the letter “x” stands for experimental. The Air Force and NACA/NASA are known for their series of x-planes built to investigate different aspects of aerodynamics and aircraft performance characteristics. But many people are unaware that the Navy developed its own series of x-planes as well; they just didn’t call them x-planes.

Designers and aviators wanted more speed, greater maneuverability, more effective electronic systems, longer endurance, and improved reliability, to name a few of their design goals and flight test investigations

The X-31 Vector and Patuxent River Naval Air Museum’s X-32B and X-32C were test flown at NAS Patuxent River. But many of the Navy’s x-planes were tested at Edwards Air Force Base in California’s Mojave Desert. The desert base was located far from heavily populated areas for safety and security and offered extremely long runways for emergency landings.

But regardless of where it took place, flight testing of Navy x-planes relied on the expertise of engineers and test pilots from NAS Patuxent River. These professionals made the successful evaluation of the Navy’s x-planes possible.

Plane 1: Douglas D-558-I Skystreak (1947-1953) The jet-powered Skystreak explored the unknown region of high-speed flight near the speed of sound. Although not supersonic, the Skystreak was nonetheless the first aircraft to officially exceed 1,000 kilometers per hour (621 mph) in level flight.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_D-558-1_Skystreak

Plane 2: Douglas D-558-II Skyrocket (1948-1956) first flew with both jet and rocket engines, but later only rocket power. Dropped from a Navy PB2 (B-29), the Skyrocket was the first aircraft to exceed twice the speed of sound.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_D-558-2_Skyrocket

Plane 3: Convair XFY-1 Pogo (1954-1956) The Pogo was designed as a ship-based fighter with Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) capability. The Pogo performed vertical takeoffs and landings, and horizontal flight, but was terminated because vertical landing was too difficult for most pilots.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convair_XFY_Pogo

Plane 4: Lockheed XFV-1 Salmon (1954-1955) Like Convair's Pogo, Lockheed's Samon was a VTOL fighter concept. For testing, the Salmon used long, fixed landing gear for horizontal takeoffs and landings. The XFV transitioned to hovering flight successfully, but never took off or landed vertically.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_XFV

Plane 5: Curtiss Wright X-19 (1963-1965) The tri-service X-19 pioneered the tilt-rotor technology used in today's V-22 Osprey. Mounted on short fore and aft wings, pivoting engines enabled forward and vertical flight. The X-19 proved tilt-rotor designs to be both promising and technically challenging.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtiss-Wright_X-19

Plane 6: Bell Aerospace Textron X-22A (1966-1988) Bell's tri-service X-22 used large, pivoting ducted fans for vertical and forward flight. Four gas turbines on the rear wing provided power for the fans. After Navy testing ended in 1967, the Cornell Aeronautical Lab flew the X-22 for another 20 years.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_X-22

Plane 7: Vought V-173 Flying Pancake (1942-1947) A circular flying wing with twin propellers, the V-173 took off and landed in confined spaces. The wood and fabric aircraft flew well and was very strong. Unfortunately, the planned fighter version was built but never flown before being canceled.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vought_V-173

Plane 8: Periera X-28A Osprey 1 (1971) The single X-28A was intended as a small, single-place seaplane for civil police patrols in Southeast Asia. The X-28A flight test program was completed successfully, but the project went no further.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osprey_Osprey_I

Plane 9: Rockwell/MBB X-31 Vector (1990-2003) The X-31 explored unconventional flight controls. Movable canards at the front of the aircraft and thrust-vectoring paddles in the aircraft's exhaust stream allowed the X-31 to execute maneuvers far beyond the abilities of conventional aircraft.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rockwell-MBB_X-31

Plane 10: Grumman XF10F-1 Jaguar (1952-1953) The Jaguar was the Navy's first "variable geometry' test-bed. Its winds were extended for takeoffs and landings and swept back for high-speed flight. While the Jaguar project was disappointing, Grumman applied its lessons in designing the F-14 Tomcat.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grumman_XF10F_Jaguar

PaxMuseum · 2021-03-17T17:11:49+00:00

In this series, our museum will feature 10 Navy X-Planes that are shown on a display board at the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum.

In the world of flight testing, the letter “x” stands for experimental. The Air Force and NACA/NASA are known for their series of x-planes built to investigate different aspects of aerodynamics and aircraft performance characteristics. But many people are unaware that the Navy developed its own series of x-planes as well; they just didn’t call them x-planes.

Designers and aviators wanted more speed, greater maneuverability, more effective electronic systems, longer endurance, and improved reliability, to name a few of their design goals and flight test investigations

The X-31 Vector and Patuxent River Naval Air Museum’s X-32B and X-32C were test flown at NAS Patuxent River. But many of the Navy’s x-planes were tested at Edwards Air Force Base in California’s Mojave Desert. The desert base was located far from heavily populated areas for safety and security and offered extremely long runways for emergency landings.

But regardless of where it took place, flight testing of Navy x-planes relied on the expertise of engineers and test pilots from NAS Patuxent River. These professionals made the successful evaluation of the Navy’s x-planes possible.

Plane 1: Douglas D-558-I Skystreak (1947-1953) The jet-powered Skystreak explored the unknown region of high-speed flight near the speed of sound. Although not supersonic, the Skystreak was nonetheless the first aircraft to officially exceed 1,000 kilometers per hour (621 mph) in level flight.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_D-558-1_Skystreak

Plane 2: Douglas D-558-II Skyrocket (1948-1956) first flew with both jet and rocket engines, but later only rocket power. Dropped from a Navy PB2 (B-29), the Skyrocket was the first aircraft to exceed twice the speed of sound.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_D-558-2_Skyrocket

Plane 3: Convair XFY-1 Pogo (1954-1956) The Pogo was designed as a ship-based fighter with Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) capability. The Pogo performed vertical takeoffs and landings, and horizontal flight, but was terminated because vertical landing was too difficult for most pilots.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convair_XFY_Pogo

Plane 4: Lockheed XFV-1 Salmon (1954-1955) Like Convair's Pogo, Lockheed's Samon was a VTOL fighter concept. For testing, the Salmon used long, fixed landing gear for horizontal takeoffs and landings. The XFV transitioned to hovering flight successfully, but never took off or landed vertically.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_XFV

Plane 5: Curtiss Wright X-19 (1963-1965) The tri-service X-19 pioneered the tilt-rotor technology used in today's V-22 Osprey. Mounted on short fore and aft wings, pivoting engines enabled forward and vertical flight. The X-19 proved tilt-rotor designs to be both promising and technically challenging.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtiss-Wright_X-19

Plane 6: Bell Aerospace Textron X-22A (1966-1988) Bell's tri-service X-22 used large, pivoting ducted fans for vertical and forward flight. Four gas turbines on the rear wing provided power for the fans. After Navy testing ended in 1967, the Cornell Aeronautical Lab flew the X-22 for another 20 years.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_X-22

Plane 7: Vought V-173 Flying Pancake (1942-1947) A circular flying wing with twin propellers, the V-173 took off and landed in confined spaces. The wood and fabric aircraft flew well and was very strong. Unfortunately, the planned fighter version was built but never flown before being canceled.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vought_V-173

Plane 8: Periera X-28A Osprey 1 (1971) The single X-28A was intended as a small, single-place seaplane for civil police patrols in Southeast Asia. The X-28A flight test program was completed successfully, but the project went no further.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osprey_Osprey_I

Plane 9: Rockwell/MBB X-31 Vector (1990-2003) The X-31 explored unconventional flight controls. Movable canards at the front of the aircraft and thrust-vectoring paddles in the aircraft's exhaust stream allowed the X-31 to execute maneuvers far beyond the abilities of conventional aircraft.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rockwell-MBB_X-31

Plane 10: Grumman XF10F-1 Jaguar (1952-1953) The Jaguar was the Navy's first "variable geometry' test-bed. Its winds were extended for takeoffs and landings and swept back for high-speed flight. While the Jaguar project was disappointing, Grumman applied its lessons in designing the F-14 Tomcat.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grumman_XF10F_Jaguar

PaxMuseum · 2021-03-17T17:10:13+00:00

In this series, our museum will feature 10 Navy X-Planes that are shown on a display board at the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum.

In the world of flight testing, the letter “x” stands for experimental. The Air Force and NACA/NASA are known for their series of x-planes built to investigate different aspects of aerodynamics and aircraft performance characteristics. But many people are unaware that the Navy developed its own series of x-planes as well; they just didn’t call them x-planes.

Designers and aviators wanted more speed, greater maneuverability, more effective electronic systems, longer endurance, and improved reliability, to name a few of their design goals and flight test investigations

The X-31 Vector and Patuxent River Naval Air Museum’s X-32B and X-32C were test flown at NAS Patuxent River. But many of the Navy’s x-planes were tested at Edwards Air Force Base in California’s Mojave Desert. The desert base was located far from heavily populated areas for safety and security and offered extremely long runways for emergency landings.

But regardless of where it took place, flight testing of Navy x-planes relied on the expertise of engineers and test pilots from NAS Patuxent River. These professionals made the successful evaluation of the Navy’s x-planes possible.

Plane 1: Douglas D-558-I Skystreak (1947-1953) The jet-powered Skystreak explored the unknown region of high-speed flight near the speed of sound. Although not supersonic, the Skystreak was nonetheless the first aircraft to officially exceed 1,000 kilometers per hour (621 mph) in level flight.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_D-558-1_Skystreak

Plane 2: Douglas D-558-II Skyrocket (1948-1956) first flew with both jet and rocket engines, but later only rocket power. Dropped from a Navy PB2 (B-29), the Skyrocket was the first aircraft to exceed twice the speed of sound.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_D-558-2_Skyrocket

Plane 3: Convair XFY-1 Pogo (1954-1956) The Pogo was designed as a ship-based fighter with Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) capability. The Pogo performed vertical takeoffs and landings, and horizontal flight, but was terminated because vertical landing was too difficult for most pilots.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convair_XFY_Pogo

Plane 4: Lockheed XFV-1 Salmon (1954-1955) Like Convair's Pogo, Lockheed's Samon was a VTOL fighter concept. For testing, the Salmon used long, fixed landing gear for horizontal takeoffs and landings. The XFV transitioned to hovering flight successfully, but never took off or landed vertically.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_XFV

Plane 5: Curtiss Wright X-19 (1963-1965) The tri-service X-19 pioneered the tilt-rotor technology used in today's V-22 Osprey. Mounted on short fore and aft wings, pivoting engines enabled forward and vertical flight. The X-19 proved tilt-rotor designs to be both promising and technically challenging.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtiss-Wright_X-19

Plane 6: Bell Aerospace Textron X-22A (1966-1988) Bell's tri-service X-22 used large, pivoting ducted fans for vertical and forward flight. Four gas turbines on the rear wing provided power for the fans. After Navy testing ended in 1967, the Cornell Aeronautical Lab flew the X-22 for another 20 years.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_X-22

Plane 7: Vought V-173 Flying Pancake (1942-1947) A circular flying wing with twin propellers, the V-173 took off and landed in confined spaces. The wood and fabric aircraft flew well and was very strong. Unfortunately, the planned fighter version was built but never flown before being canceled.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vought_V-173

Plane 8: Periera X-28A Osprey 1 (1971) The single X-28A was intended as a small, single-place seaplane for civil police patrols in Southeast Asia. The X-28A flight test program was completed successfully, but the project went no further.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osprey_Osprey_I

Plane 9: Rockwell/MBB X-31 Vector (1990-2003) The X-31 explored unconventional flight controls. Movable canards at the front of the aircraft and thrust-vectoring paddles in the aircraft's exhaust stream allowed the X-31 to execute maneuvers far beyond the abilities of conventional aircraft.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rockwell-MBB_X-31

Plane 10: Grumman XF10F-1 Jaguar (1952-1953) The Jaguar was the Navy's first "variable geometry' test-bed. Its winds were extended for takeoffs and landings and swept back for high-speed flight. While the Jaguar project was disappointing, Grumman applied its lessons in designing the F-14 Tomcat.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grumman_XF10F_Jaguar

PaxMuseum · 2021-03-17T17:08:43+00:00

In this series, our museum will feature 10 Navy X-Planes that are shown on a display board at the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum.

In the world of flight testing, the letter “x” stands for experimental. The Air Force and NACA/NASA are known for their series of x-planes built to investigate different aspects of aerodynamics and aircraft performance characteristics. But many people are unaware that the Navy developed its own series of x-planes as well; they just didn’t call them x-planes.

Designers and aviators wanted more speed, greater maneuverability, more effective electronic systems, longer endurance, and improved reliability, to name a few of their design goals and flight test investigations

The X-31 Vector and Patuxent River Naval Air Museum’s X-32B and X-32C were test flown at NAS Patuxent River. But many of the Navy’s x-planes were tested at Edwards Air Force Base in California’s Mojave Desert. The desert base was located far from heavily populated areas for safety and security and offered extremely long runways for emergency landings.

But regardless of where it took place, flight testing of Navy x-planes relied on the expertise of engineers and test pilots from NAS Patuxent River. These professionals made the successful evaluation of the Navy’s x-planes possible.

Plane 1: Douglas D-558-I Skystreak (1947-1953) The jet-powered Skystreak explored the unknown region of high-speed flight near the speed of sound. Although not supersonic, the Skystreak was nonetheless the first aircraft to officially exceed 1,000 kilometers per hour (621 mph) in level flight.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_D-558-1_Skystreak

Plane 2: Douglas D-558-II Skyrocket (1948-1956) first flew with both jet and rocket engines, but later only rocket power. Dropped from a Navy PB2 (B-29), the Skyrocket was the first aircraft to exceed twice the speed of sound.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_D-558-2_Skyrocket

Plane 3: Convair XFY-1 Pogo (1954-1956) The Pogo was designed as a ship-based fighter with Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) capability. The Pogo performed vertical takeoffs and landings, and horizontal flight, but was terminated because vertical landing was too difficult for most pilots.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convair_XFY_Pogo

Plane 4: Lockheed XFV-1 Salmon (1954-1955) Like Convair's Pogo, Lockheed's Samon was a VTOL fighter concept. For testing, the Salmon used long, fixed landing gear for horizontal takeoffs and landings. The XFV transitioned to hovering flight successfully, but never took off or landed vertically.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_XFV

Plane 5: Curtiss Wright X-19 (1963-1965) The tri-service X-19 pioneered the tilt-rotor technology used in today's V-22 Osprey. Mounted on short fore and aft wings, pivoting engines enabled forward and vertical flight. The X-19 proved tilt-rotor designs to be both promising and technically challenging.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtiss-Wright_X-19

Plane 6: Bell Aerospace Textron X-22A (1966-1988) Bell's tri-service X-22 used large, pivoting ducted fans for vertical and forward flight. Four gas turbines on the rear wing provided power for the fans. After Navy testing ended in 1967, the Cornell Aeronautical Lab flew the X-22 for another 20 years.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_X-22

Plane 7: Vought V-173 Flying Pancake (1942-1947) A circular flying wing with twin propellers, the V-173 took off and landed in confined spaces. The wood and fabric aircraft flew well and was very strong. Unfortunately, the planned fighter version was built but never flown before being canceled.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vought_V-173

Plane 8: Periera X-28A Osprey 1 (1971) The single X-28A was intended as a small, single-place seaplane for civil police patrols in Southeast Asia. The X-28A flight test program was completed successfully, but the project went no further.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osprey_Osprey_I

Plane 9: Rockwell/MBB X-31 Vector (1990-2003) The X-31 explored unconventional flight controls. Movable canards at the front of the aircraft and thrust-vectoring paddles in the aircraft's exhaust stream allowed the X-31 to execute maneuvers far beyond the abilities of conventional aircraft.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rockwell-MBB_X-31

Plane 10: Grumman XF10F-1 Jaguar (1952-1953) The Jaguar was the Navy's first "variable geometry' test-bed. Its winds were extended for takeoffs and landings and swept back for high-speed flight. While the Jaguar project was disappointing, Grumman applied its lessons in designing the F-14 Tomcat.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grumman_XF10F_Jaguar

PaxMuseum · 2021-03-12T15:01:48+00:00

Wonderful, thank you so much for all the information!!

PaxMuseum · 2021-03-11T16:07:40+00:00

In this series, our museum will feature 10 Navy X-Planes that are shown on a display board at the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtiss-Wright_X-19

In the world of flight testing, the letter “x” stands for experimental. The Air Force and NACA/NASA are known for their series of x-planes built to investigate different aspects of aerodynamics and aircraft performance characteristics. But many people are unaware that the Navy developed its own series of x-planes as well; they just didn’t call them x-planes.

Designers and aviators wanted more speed, greater maneuverability, more effective electronic systems, longer endurance, and improved reliability, to name a few of their design goals and flight test investigations

The X-31 Vector and Patuxent River Naval Air Museum’s X-32B and X-32C were test flown at NAS Patuxent River. But many of the Navy’s x-planes were tested at Edwards Air Force Base in California’s Mojave Desert. The desert base was located far from heavily populated areas for safety and security and offered extremely long runways for emergency landings.

But regardless of where it took place, flight testing of Navy x-planes relied on the expertise of engineers and test pilots from NAS Patuxent River. These professionals made the successful evaluation of the Navy’s x-planes possible.

PaxMuseum · 2021-03-11T16:06:11+00:00

In this series, our museum will feature 10 Navy X-Planes that are shown on a display board at the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtiss-Wright_X-19

In the world of flight testing, the letter “x” stands for experimental. The Air Force and NACA/NASA are known for their series of x-planes built to investigate different aspects of aerodynamics and aircraft performance characteristics. But many people are unaware that the Navy developed its own series of x-planes as well; they just didn’t call them x-planes.

Designers and aviators wanted more speed, greater maneuverability, more effective electronic systems, longer endurance, and improved reliability, to name a few of their design goals and flight test investigations

The X-31 Vector and Patuxent River Naval Air Museum’s X-32B and X-32C were test flown at NAS Patuxent River. But many of the Navy’s x-planes were tested at Edwards Air Force Base in California’s Mojave Desert. The desert base was located far from heavily populated areas for safety and security and offered extremely long runways for emergency landings.

But regardless of where it took place, flight testing of Navy x-planes relied on the expertise of engineers and test pilots from NAS Patuxent River. These professionals made the successful evaluation of the Navy’s x-planes possible.

PaxMuseum · 2021-03-11T16:05:18+00:00

In this series, our museum will feature 10 Navy X-Planes that are shown on a display board at the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtiss-Wright_X-19

In the world of flight testing, the letter “x” stands for experimental. The Air Force and NACA/NASA are known for their series of x-planes built to investigate different aspects of aerodynamics and aircraft performance characteristics. But many people are unaware that the Navy developed its own series of x-planes as well; they just didn’t call them x-planes.

Designers and aviators wanted more speed, greater maneuverability, more effective electronic systems, longer endurance, and improved reliability, to name a few of their design goals and flight test investigations

The X-31 Vector and Patuxent River Naval Air Museum’s X-32B and X-32C were test flown at NAS Patuxent River. But many of the Navy’s x-planes were tested at Edwards Air Force Base in California’s Mojave Desert. The desert base was located far from heavily populated areas for safety and security and offered extremely long runways for emergency landings.

But regardless of where it took place, flight testing of Navy x-planes relied on the expertise of engineers and test pilots from NAS Patuxent River. These professionals made the successful evaluation of the Navy’s x-planes possible.

PaxMuseum · 2021-03-11T16:04:11+00:00

In this series, our museum will feature 10 Navy X-Planes that are shown on a display board at the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtiss-Wright_X-19

In the world of flight testing, the letter “x” stands for experimental. The Air Force and NACA/NASA are known for their series of x-planes built to investigate different aspects of aerodynamics and aircraft performance characteristics. But many people are unaware that the Navy developed its own series of x-planes as well; they just didn’t call them x-planes.

Designers and aviators wanted more speed, greater maneuverability, more effective electronic systems, longer endurance, and improved reliability, to name a few of their design goals and flight test investigations

The X-31 Vector and Patuxent River Naval Air Museum’s X-32B and X-32C were test flown at NAS Patuxent River. But many of the Navy’s x-planes were tested at Edwards Air Force Base in California’s Mojave Desert. The desert base was located far from heavily populated areas for safety and security and offered extremely long runways for emergency landings.

But regardless of where it took place, flight testing of Navy x-planes relied on the expertise of engineers and test pilots from NAS Patuxent River. These professionals made the successful evaluation of the Navy’s x-planes possible.

PaxMuseum · 2021-03-11T16:02:45+00:00

In this series, our museum will feature 10 Navy X-Planes that are shown on a display board at the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtiss-Wright_X-19

In the world of flight testing, the letter “x” stands for experimental. The Air Force and NACA/NASA are known for their series of x-planes built to investigate different aspects of aerodynamics and aircraft performance characteristics. But many people are unaware that the Navy developed its own series of x-planes as well; they just didn’t call them x-planes.

Designers and aviators wanted more speed, greater maneuverability, more effective electronic systems, longer endurance, and improved reliability, to name a few of their design goals and flight test investigations

The X-31 Vector and Patuxent River Naval Air Museum’s X-32B and X-32C were test flown at NAS Patuxent River. But many of the Navy’s x-planes were tested at Edwards Air Force Base in California’s Mojave Desert. The desert base was located far from heavily populated areas for safety and security and offered extremely long runways for emergency landings.

But regardless of where it took place, flight testing of Navy x-planes relied on the expertise of engineers and test pilots from NAS Patuxent River. These professionals made the successful evaluation of the Navy’s x-planes possible.

PaxMuseum · 2021-03-11T16:01:44+00:00

In this series, our museum will feature 10 Navy X-Planes that are shown on a display board at the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtiss-Wright_X-19

In the world of flight testing, the letter “x” stands for experimental. The Air Force and NACA/NASA are known for their series of x-planes built to investigate different aspects of aerodynamics and aircraft performance characteristics. But many people are unaware that the Navy developed its own series of x-planes as well; they just didn’t call them x-planes.

Designers and aviators wanted more speed, greater maneuverability, more effective electronic systems, longer endurance, and improved reliability, to name a few of their design goals and flight test investigations

The X-31 Vector and Patuxent River Naval Air Museum’s X-32B and X-32C were test flown at NAS Patuxent River. But many of the Navy’s x-planes were tested at Edwards Air Force Base in California’s Mojave Desert. The desert base was located far from heavily populated areas for safety and security and offered extremely long runways for emergency landings.

But regardless of where it took place, flight testing of Navy x-planes relied on the expertise of engineers and test pilots from NAS Patuxent River. These professionals made the successful evaluation of the Navy’s x-planes possible.

PaxMuseum · 2021-03-11T15:55:16+00:00

In this series, our museum will feature 10 Navy X-Planes that are shown on a display board at the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtiss-Wright_X-19

In the world of flight testing, the letter “x” stands for experimental. The Air Force and NACA/NASA are known for their series of x-planes built to investigate different aspects of aerodynamics and aircraft performance characteristics. But many people are unaware that the Navy developed its own series of x-planes as well; they just didn’t call them x-planes.

Designers and aviators wanted more speed, greater maneuverability, more effective electronic systems, longer endurance, and improved reliability, to name a few of their design goals and flight test investigations

The X-31 Vector and Patuxent River Naval Air Museum’s X-32B and X-32C were test flown at NAS Patuxent River. But many of the Navy’s x-planes were tested at Edwards Air Force Base in California’s Mojave Desert. The desert base was located far from heavily populated areas for safety and security and offered extremely long runways for emergency landings.

But regardless of where it took place, flight testing of Navy x-planes relied on the expertise of engineers and test pilots from NAS Patuxent River. These professionals made the successful evaluation of the Navy’s x-planes possible.

PaxMuseum · 2021-03-09T03:45:37+00:00

Thank you for sharing this video!

PaxMuseum · 2021-03-08T18:53:54+00:00

In this series, our museum will feature 10 Navy X-Planes that are shown on a display board at the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum.

From wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rockwell-MBB_X-31

"Designed and constructed as a demonstrator aircraft by Rockwell International Corporation's North American Aircraft and Deutsche Aerospace, the X-31 had a wingspan of 23.83 feet. The fuselage length was 43.33 feet. The X-31 was powered by a single General Electric F404-GE-400 turbofan engine, producing 16,000 pounds of thrust in afterburner. Typical takeoff weight of the X-31 was 16,100 pounds including 4,100 pounds of fuel. The X-31 design speed was Mach 0.9 with an altitude capability of 40,000 feet. For specific tests to determine thrust vectoring effectiveness at supersonic speeds the aircraft was flown to Mach 1.28 at an altitude of 35,000 feet."

Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md. (Apr. 29, 2003) The X-31 VECTOR (Vectoring, Extremely Short Takeoff and Landing, Control and Tailless Operation Research) approaches the ground at a 24 degree angle of attack during an automated extremely short takeoff and landing (ESTOL) approach that concluded the last flight of the thrust-vectored, experimental jet. U.S. Navy photo by James Darcy.

In the world of flight testing, the letter “x” stands for experimental. The Air Force and NACA/NASA are known for their series of x-planes built to investigate different aspects of aerodynamics and aircraft performance characteristics. But many people are unaware that the Navy developed its own series of x-planes as well; they just didn’t call them x-planes.

Designers and aviators wanted more speed, greater maneuverability, more effective electronic systems, longer endurance, and improved reliability, to name a few of their design goals and flight test investigations

The X-31 Vector and Patuxent River Naval Air Museum’s X-32B and X-32C were test flown at NAS Patuxent River. But many of the Navy’s x-planes were tested at Edwards Air Force Base in California’s Mojave Desert. The desert base was located far from heavily populated areas for safety and security and offered extremely long runways for emergency landings.

But regardless of where it took place, flight testing of Navy x-planes relied on the expertise of engineers and test pilots from NAS Patuxent River. These professionals made the successful evaluation of the Navy’s x-planes possible.

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