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X-3 Stiletto
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Photo: Robert Deering 1985 National Museum of the USAF Wright-Patterson AFB (FFO) Dayton, Ohio |
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The twin-turbojet
X-3, the only one built, was designed to
test features of an aircraft suitable for
sustained flights at supersonic speeds and
high altitudes. A secondary mission was to
investigate the use of new materials such as
titanium and to explore new construction
techniques. The X-3 made its first test flight at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., on Oct. 20, 1952, and flew supersonically in June 1953. Unlike the X-1, X-2 and X-15, which were released in mid-air from a "mother plane," the X-3 operated in a more conventional manner by taking off from the ground. Engine development difficulties forced the use of lower powered engines than originally planned, prohibiting the X-3 program from achieving its design potential; however, data gained from the X-3 program was of great benefit in the development of the F-104, X-15, SR-71 and other high performance aircraft. The X-3 was transferred to the National Museum of the United States Air Force in 1956. |
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