Wikipedia

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 their own development are excluded.

Argentina

  • FMA I.Ae. 37 glider – testbed for production fighter

Australia

  • GAF Pika – manned test craft for drone program

Brazil

  • Baumgartl PB-60 – towed experimental rotor kite

Canada

Canadair CL-84 Dynavert tilt-wing VTOL research aircraft

France

Breguet-Dorand Gyroplane Laboratoire
  • Aérocentre NC.130 1939 – High-altitude flight
  • Aérospatiale Ludion 1967 – Thrust vectored rocket VTOL
  • Arsenal-Delanne 10 – Tandem wing
  • Arsenal VG 70 – High speed research
  • Arsenal O.101 – Aerodynamic research
  • Arsenal 2301/SFECMAS 2301 and SFECMAS 1301 – Supersonic research glider
  • Breguet-Dorand Gyroplane Laboratoire – Experimental helicopter
  • Breguet-Richet Gyroplane – Experimental helicopter
  • Breguet Laboratoire Eiffel – Monoplane testbed
  • Dassault Balzac V – VTOL testbed
  • Dassault Mirage IIIV – VTOL testbed
  • Dassault Milan – Canard research
  • Dassault Mirage G – Variable geometry
  • Dassault LOGIDUCUnmanned combat aerial vehicle UCAV development
  • Dassault nEUROn – UCAV technology demonstrator
  • Farman F.1010 – Heavy cannon flight testing
  • Farman F.1020 – Semi-circular wing
  • Fouga Gemeaux – Engine testbed
  • Gastambide-Levavasseur Variable Surface Aircraft – Variable chord wing testbed
  • Gérin Varivol – Variable chord wing testbed
SNECMA Coléoptère experimental tailsitter in 1959
  • Hanriot HD.28 – tested a Vee tail
  • Hurel-Dubois HD.10 – Very high aspect ratio wings
  • Leduc 0.10 – Ramjet
  • Leduc 0.21 – Ramjet
  • Makhonine Mak-10 – Variable span wing
  • Messier Monoplace Laboratorie – Retractable bicycle undercarriage testbed.
  • Nord 500 – VTOL tilt ducted fan research aircraft
  • Nord 1402/1405 Gerfaut – Delta wing research aircraft
  • Nord 1500 Griffon – Ramjet
  • Nord 1601 – Swept wing research aircraft
  • Payen PA-22 – Tandem delta/normal wings
  • Payen Pa 49 – Tandem delta/normal wings
  • Potez-CAMS 160 – 5/13th scale six engine aerodynamic testbed for development of CAMS 161
  • Robin X4 – Materials and configuration testbed
  • SNECMA Atar Volant – Vertical lift jet
  • SNECMA Coléoptère – Vertical lift annular wing
  • Sud Est SE-1210 scale aerodynamic testbed for SE-1200 transatlantic flying boat
  • Sud-Ouest Ariel – Tip-jet rotor helicopter
  • Sud-Ouest Farfadet – Convertiplane
  • Sud-Ouest Triton – First French jet aircraft

Germany

Dornier Do 29 tilt rotor STOL
  • Akaflieg Berlin B 9 1943. – Prone pilot
  • Albatros L.81 – Elektron metal structure testbed
  • AVA AF 1 – Augumented lift
  • DFS 194 1940 – Tailless rocket aircraft used in development of Me 163
  • DFS 346 1948 – Supersonic reconnaissance aircraft used for research
  • Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet TransSonische Tragflügel (TST) – Transonic supercritical wing research[1]
  • Dornier Do 29 – Tilt rotor STOL
Heinkel He 178 pioneering turbojet-powered aircraft
  • Dornier Do 31 – Experimental VTOL transport
  • EWR VJ 101 – Experimental tiltjet VTOL fighter
  • Fieseler Fi 158 – Testbed for radio control system
  • Flettner airplane – Magnus effect test vehicle
  • Flettner Fl 185 – Gyrodyne
  • Focke-Wulf F 19 – Multi-engined canard demonstrator
  • Fokker V.1 – Structures and aerodynamics testbed
  • Göppingen Gö 8 – Development aircraft for Do 214
  • Göppingen Gö 9 – Pusher (behind tail) aerodynamic testbed for Dornier Do 335 development
  • Gotha Go 147 – Tailless research aircraft
Opel RAK.1 rocket engine research aircraft
  • Heinkel He 119 – High-performance 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 – Pioneering all-metal cantilever monoplane (1915)
  • Junkers EF 61 – Pressurization
  • Junkers Ju 49 – High-altitude test aircraft
  • Lippisch Delta IV – Delta wing
  • Lippisch DM-1 1944 – Delta wing glider
  • Lippisch Ente – Rocket-powered canard technology demonstrator
  • Lippisch P.13a – Coal-powered delta wing
  • Messerschmitt Me P.1101 – Variable geometry (swing-wing) jet
  • Opel RAK.1 – Rocket propulsion technology demonstrator
  • RFB X-113 – Wing in ground effect vehicle
  • RFB X-114 – Wing in ground effect vehicle
  • Sack AS-6 – Disk wing technology demonstrator
  • Schmeidler SN.2 – Wing flaps
  • VFW VAK 191B – VTOL fighter
  • Zeppelin-Lindau (Dornier) V1 – All-metal stressed skin construction

Italy

Caproni-Campini N.1/CC.2 experimental motorjet and second jet aircraft to fly

Poland

  • Flugtechnische Fertigungsgemeinschaft Prag FGP 227 – Scale proof of concept for German BV 238
  • Lala-1 – Jet biplane testbed for PZL M-15 Belphegor

Japan

Gasuden Koken
  • Gasuden Koken 1937 – Long range experimental aircraft
  • Honda MH02 1993 – Over wing engines, forward swept wing
  • Kawasaki Ki-78 1942 – High speed research aircraft
  • Kayaba Ku-2 1940 – 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
  • X1G – High-lift device based on Saab 91 Safir
  • National Aerospace Laboratory (NAL) AsukaSTOL
  • Shin Meiwa UF-XS – Proof of concept demonstrator for Shin Meiwa US-1A
  • Mitsubishi X-2 Shinshin – Advanced stealth technology demonstrator

Russia/Soviet Union

Antonov A-40 tank glider
Bartini Beriev VVA-14 Ekranoplan
  • Alexeyev – Ekranoplans
  • Antonov A-40 1942 – Tank glider
  • Antonov 181 – Blown channel wing demonstrator
  • Bartini Beriev VVA-14 1972 – Ekranoplan ground effect vehicle
  • 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
  • Ilyushin Il-76LL – Engine testbeds (5)
  • Kozlov PS – Visiblity (covered in transparent material)
  • MAI EMAI – Magnesium construction
  • Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-8 Utka – Pusher canard proof of concept (1945)
  • Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-105 – Lifting body
  • Mikoyan Project 1.44 – Technology demonstrator
  • Mikoyan-Gurevich N – Mixed propulsion system
Yakovlev Yak-36 VTOL research vehicle
  • Moskalyev SAM-9 Strela – Delta wing
  • NIAI RK – Telescopic wings
  • NIAI RK-I – Telescopic wings
  • Nikitin PSN-2 – Glider bombers
  • Sukhanov Diskoplan – Disk wings
  • Sukhoi T-10 – Technology demonstrator
  • Sukhoi T-58VD – VTOL research aircraft
  • Sukhoi Su-47 – Technology demonstrator
  • Thermoplan – Heavy lift lenticular-shaped hybrid airship technology demonstrator
  • Tsybin LL – Forward swept wing
  • Tsybin NM-1 – Proof of concept
  • Tupolev Tu-95LAL – Nuclear-powered aircraft
  • Ushakov – Flying submarines
  • Yakovlev Yak-36 – VTOL technology demonstrator
  • Yakovlev Yak-42LL – Progress D-236 propfan engine testbed
  • Yakovlev Yak-1000 – Supersonic technology demonstrator
  • Zveno project – Parasite fighters

Spain

Cierva C.6 autogiro
  • Cierva C.4 1923 – Experimental autogyro, first to fly
  • Cierva C.6 1924 – Experimental autogyro

Sweden

Switzerland

United Kingdom

Avro 707 research aircraft in formation with Avro Vulcan bomber prototypes
Fairey Delta 2 research aircraft
Gloster E.28/39 jet engine research aircraft
Miles M.35 Libellula canard research aircraft
Rolls-Royce thrust measuring rig VTOL testbed

United States

Bell X-1 supersonic research aircraft
Bell X-5 variable-sweep wing testbed
North American X-15 hypersonic rocket-powered research aircraft

X-planes

Grumman X-29 forward swept wing and stability research aircraft

Other US experimental aircraft

US Army Bell 533 high speed helicopter research aircraft
XFV-12A on ramp at NAA in Columbus, Ohio
Scaled Composites Proteus in flight during 2002 for US Department of Energy ARM-UAV program
  • Acme Sierra 1959 – Technology demonstrator
  • AstroFlight Sunrise 1974 – Solar powered drone
  • Ball-Bartoe Jetwing 1977 – Blown wing research
  • Bell D-292 1985 – Advanced Composite Airframe Program
  • Bell L-39 1946 – Swept wing research
  • Bell Model 65 1954 – Tiltjet VTOL
  • Bell XV-15 1977 – Tiltrotor VTOL, precursor to V-22 Osprey
  • Bell 533 1962 – US Army high speed helicopter experiments
  • Boeing ecoDemonstrator 2012 – Airliner fuel efficiency and noise reduction technologies
  • Budd BB-1 Pioneer 1931 – Stainless steel construction
  • Burnelli RB-1 1921 – Lifting body proof of concept vehicle
  • Chrysler VZ-6 1959 – Ducted fan
  • Convair NB-36 1955 – Nuclear propelled aircraft testbed
  • Curtiss-Wright VZ-7 1958 – Quadcopter
  • Curtiss-Wright X-100 1963 – Tilt rotor VTOL (developed into X-200 and X-19)
  • Custer Channel Wings 1953 – Blown half-barrel wings
  • Doak VZ-4 1958 – Tilt-fan VTOL
  • Douglas D-558-I Skystreak 1947 – Supersonic research
  • Douglas D-558-II Skyrocket 1948 – Supersonic research
  • Fairchild VZ-5 1959 – Deflected air VTOL
  • Farrar LSG-1 Bird Flight Machine 1969 – Glider to research bird flight
Lockheed Vega Winnie Mae high-altitude research aircraft – confirmed existence of jet stream
  • General Dynamics F-16XL 1982 – Relaxed stability delta wing, boundary layer suction laminar flow
  • General Dynamics F-16 VISTA 1992 – Variable stability, thrust vectoring
  • General Electric GE36 testbed 1986 – Propfan engine testbed on a modified Boeing 727
  • Goodyear Inflatoplane 1956 – Inflatable rescue aircraft technology demonstrator
  • Gossamer Albatross 1979 – Human-powered flight
  • Gossamer Condor 1977 – Human-powered flight
  • modified Grumman Gulfstream II – Engine testbed for the NASA Propfan Test Assessment (PTA)
  • Hiller VZ-1 Pawnee 1955 – Direct lift rotor platform
  • Hypersonic Technology Vehicle 2 2010 – Hypersonic glider
  • Kaman K-125 1947 – Intermesh twin rotor helicopter, servo-flap control
  • Kaman K-16 – Modified Grumman Goose for tiltwing V/STOL research
  • Lockheed Altair 1938 – Twinned engine testbed (both engines were in a single cowl)
  • NASA Dryden Lockheed C-140 Jetstar 1964 – Electronic variable stability, propfan engine (1981) and laminar flow wing testbed (1985)[2]
  • 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
Lifting body research aircraft – from left to right, X-24A, M2-F3 and HL-10
  • Lockheed XV-4 Hummingbird – Jetlift VTOL
  • LTV XC-142 – VTOL transport technology demonstrator
  • Martin 162A Tadpole Clipper – Proof of concept aircraft
  • Martin XB-26H Marauder – Tandem undercarriage
  • McDonnell Douglas MD-81 UHB – General Electric GE36 and PW-Allison 578-DX propfan engine testbed
  • NASA AD-1 – Oblique Wing
  • NASA Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology experimental aircraft – ALTUS, Pathfinder and Helios
  • 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
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
  • Republic XF-84H "Thunderscreech" – Supersonic propellor testbed
  • Republic XF-91 Thunderceptor – Inversely tapered swept wing
  • Rockwell HiMAT – Maneuverability and control research
  • Rockwell XFV-12 – Augmented wing vectored thrust VTOL
  • Rotary Rocket Roton 1999 – Single stage to orbit helicopter rocket
  • Ryan VZ-3 Vertiplane 1958 – Blown flap VTOL research
  • Ryan XV-5 Vertifan 1964 – Fan lift VTOL research
  • Sawyer Skyjacker II – Low aspect ratio research aircraft
Vought V-173 disk wing research aircraft
  • Scaled Composites Proteus 1998 – Telecommunication relay testbed
  • Schweizer SGS 1-29 1958 – Laminar flow research on wings made of metal
  • Sikorsky S-69 1981 – Compound co-axial research
  • Sikorsky S-72 1976 – Helicopter/aircraft hybrid research
  • Sikorsky S-75 1984 – Advanced Composite Aircraft Program
  • Sikorsky S-76 SHADOW 1985 – Sikorsky Helicopter Advanced Demonstrator and Operator Workload
  • Stinson L-1 Vigilant – One example modified for boundary layer experiments
  • Travel Air 2000 – One modified for Besler steam powered aircraft
  • Vertol VZ-2 – tilt wing VTOL research
  • Vought V-173 – Disk wing research for Vought XF5U
  • Vought V-326[3] – High-altitude test aircraft
  • Vought-Sikorsky VS-300 – Helicopter

See also

References

  1. ^ http://1000aircraftphotos.com/Contributions/Visschedijk/7016.htm. Retrieved 12 Aug 2015.
  2. ^ Gibbs, Yvonne. "NASA Armstrong Fact Sheet: Lockheed JetStar Research Aircraft". NASA. Retrieved 26 October 2019.
  3. ^ Eckland, K.O. (2009-04-25). "Aerofiles Vought (Chance Vought), Lewis & Vought, Vought-Sikorsky". USA: Aerofiles.com. Retrieved 20 September 2011.
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