May 17, 1997 – The X-36 Tailless Aircraft

Do any of you think this could be scaled up to full size and flown by remote control satellite down link, much as the predator type craft now in use. I read and have seen video of these remote controlled craft. The ultimate in long arm combat may we be just a few years away. Robot wars for real. They could use medium range air launched missiles for ground attack missions. all they have to do is find away of making them dirt cheap. In the Israel versus Egypt 7 day war the Israel air force used the first remote flown aircraft to decoy ground radar, so the fighters and bombers could sneak by. It seem rather unfair that most good technology comes out of conflict.

Why make them bigger? Why not make them smaller and equip them with the high powered lasers DARPA is building. They'd make smaller targets, so they'd be harder to shoot down and the lasers could really pack a lot of punch.

Interesting. Smaller aircraft would have a smaller radar profile and be easier to store in hotspots such as the Persian Gulf, where our "allies" aren't crazy about U.S. bases. Smaller planes would be a way to maximize real estate on the deck of an aircraft carrier, that's for sure.

The latest laser technology requires a Boing 707 or bigger and costs several millions of $ to build Powerful lasers reuire enormous electrical input. The ones in use are based on a chemical reaction and are rather dangerous. Plus they are a one shot deal.

Any known alternatives to chemical?

Not for airborn usage. Powerful lasers are very power hungry the conversion efficiency is very low. I saw a documentry on millitary lasers where a ground based laser system being developed to shoot down missiles had a power supply of over 100Mw pulse cappacity for 50mS It was large. The laser put out a measly 100Kw for 10mS. That in laser terms was cutting edge say five years ago.

Are we talking chemical light source or chemical power source?

It's two chemicals that when mixed react in a highly exothermic way and emit a very powerful burst of light at the same time this is used to excite a tuned cavity where the actual laser is generated. Don't ask me the exact details they were and are classified. I know that the luminous burst had to be contained in a specially cooled container because it could spontaneously explode if it got above a max temp. The back third of the aircraft was the reaction area and the laser light was piped to an optical collimator at the front where a special mirror directed the beam. It was part of the "star wars" project. The idea being to use it to shoot down a balistic missile. Cost eventualy killed it off.

So practically this is like the Nautilus system with a different delivery package.

the Nautilus (THEL/ACTD) system's URL, was re-located for one reason or another, here it is, again.

For my own humble, uninformed opinion, I tend to think that these areal platforms are early test-beds for very high-G future platforms, in the long-term endeavour to rid the planes of human pilot inside. Not showing yet, but the shape suggest it. the lack of vertical tail and presence of vectored thrust shown in the rear end design, is to enable the platform G rates far beyond human survival.

If the F22 and 35 employed vertical tail, it was only within the G limits, yet suitable for human flight. The 35's vectored thrust, is already computer-limited to stay within human G envelope.

The other aspect for bed-testing these vertically-flat models, is that such high-speed and high-G platforms, will require abnormal attention-range an information source-input, so that a single pilot, is no longer an option.

In such proxy areal platform, some two to five pilots will be required to fly and maneuver the single beast, from their well protected environment, continents away from the plane.

Maybe additional five to be in charge of tactics and navigation.

Additional few to coordinate the single platforms with multiple such other members of a given force or other arms or control structures, all the way to strategic command.

In short, the trend I see, is that the front-line moving machine, is the tip of the iceberg or the tip of the pyramid, the rest being a well coordinated human resource, optimising the platform's super-human performance and mission, to maximise it's effect, and minimise it's exposure, for each given mission.

Another aspect, is electronic warfare, to avoid hostile parties taking-over the controls, away from it's designated personnel.

Another yet, is some very efficient self-destructing mechanisms, to scales not yet applied, to avoid trade-secrets from crossing-over.

These are not light matters, and they are gradually tested and applied, on current experimental models, today, carrying pilots, only to monitor and assure the given flight patterns, required for the tests, and the implementations of each such idea under test.

They may have to carry a small thermo-nuclear device to vaporise them.

In lieu of a many pilot operation, I suspect pilots may decide targets and perhaps select the appropiate weapons suite, but most of the flight directives will be executed by computers.

Already NASA is operating several drones with one pilot in overall command. Many autonomous drones are now capable of engaging targets including other autonomous drones and manned aircraft.

"Dogfighting" programs are already being tested in some autonomous drones. As Yuval has suspected piloted fighter aircraft are being phased out because of the human inabilities to tolerate high G's and hours (perhaps days) on station.

Hi, I want one. Mr X

Hi; I want one too. Mrs X

Do you want the neutron or hydrogen option?

Not just the X-36 as tail-less, but also the X-44 Multi-Axis No-Tail Aircraft (M.A.N.T.A) by Lockheed Martin, follows the Hyper G Thrust-Vectored Envelope for a flight-platform, which is obvious for future omitting the on-board pilot from the equation, due to unsurvivable levels of G during maneuvers.

The ambiguous-looking canopy hints to the future of it's possible omission, and a little bonus added here: unlike stub-wiglets typical for modern fast fighters, delta-wings are the only known supersonic wing configuration capable of sustaining effective lift in case of power or thrust loss.

It can actually glide to safety with it's engines off, in contrast to all other supersonic wing configurations, known for immediate stall, falling off the sky like a stone, once engine-power is lost...

From Tail-Less to Twin-Tail, Twin-Everything, classic Mustang:

Believe it or not, it even took some battle-action during the Korea campaign, according to Wiki.

Looking at it, you gaze at your empty glass wondering if you had too much to drink

Wow! Thanks for posting these pictures about the X-44 and F-82 Twin Mustang, Yuval.

When the time comes, I'll try to profile these magnificent aircraft for the "On This Day in Engineering History" blog.