Boeing X-36: Tailless Agility Flight Research Aircraft: Volume 1 (Research & Development Aircraft) - Softcover

The X-36 program began in 1989, with the development of technologies required for an agile, tailless fighter. In order to validate these technologies the then McDonnell Douglas Phantom works was contracted to built two 28% scale remotely piloted aircraft for flight testing. These aircraft incorporated many modern aeronautical technologies such as tailless design, thrust-vectoring control, stealth shaping and an advanced digital fly-by-wire flight control system. The first of the X-36 aircraft flew for the first time in May 1997 and conducted several phases of flight testing before the original program ended in November that year. In December 1998, the X-36 flew again under the Reconfigurable Control for Tailless Fighter Aircraft (RESTORE), which was aimed at testing advanced software applications designed to compensate for problems with the control surfaces.’ Only one of the X-36 vehicles ever flew and this aircraft was retired to the National Museum of the United States Air Force in 2003. This volume covers the inception, design, development and flight testing of the X-36, as well as covering previous tailless or quasi-tailless aircraft designs.

Hugh joined the British Army straight from school at age 17 and after three years service as an Infantry Soldier in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders he left the armed forces towards the mid-1990’s. His passion for writing led to a new career, writing predominantly about aviation and military subjects as well as putting himself through his higher education studies. Hugh has authored in excess of twenty books; fiction and non-fiction, writing under his own name as well as utilising two different Pseudonyms. He has also written for several international magazines, while his work has been used as reference for many other projects ranging from the Aviation industry, international news corporations, film media to encyclopaedias and the computer gaming industry.