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

A group of 1950s NACA research aircraft

Argentina

• FMA I.Ae. 37 glider

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

• AEA Silver Dart – first aircraft to fly in Canada
• Avro Canada Avrocar — ducted fan VTOL
• Birdman Project 102
• Canadair CL-52 — jet engine testbed (converted Boeing B-47)
• Canadair CL-84 — tilt-wing VTOL
• de Havilland Canada C-8A Quiet Short-Haul Research Aircraft
• de Havilland Canada C-8A Air-Cushion Landing System
• de Havilland Canada C-8A Augmentor Wing
• Marsden Gemini — variable-geometry glider
• NRC tailless glider — tailless flying wing
• UTIAS Ornithopter No.1

France

Breguet-Dorand Gyroplane Laboratoire

• Aérocentre NC.130 — high-altitude flight
• Aérospatiale Ludion — 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 — helicopter
• Breguet Laboratoire Eiffel [fr] — monoplane testbed
• Dassault Balzac V — VTOL testbed
• Dassault Mirage IIIV — VTOL testbed
• Dassault Milan — canard research
• Dassault Mirage G — variable geometry
• Dassault LOGIDUC — unmanned combat aerial vehicle 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 – one example was 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
• 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 — 5/13 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

Finland

• Adaridi AD 3

Germany

Dornier Do 29 tilt rotor STOL

• Akaflieg Berlin B 9 – prone pilot
• Akaflieg Darmstadt/Akaflieg München DM1 – delta wing
• Albatros L.81 — elektron metal structure testbed
• AVA AF 1 – augumented lift
• DFS 194 – tailless rocket aircraft used in development of Me 163
• DFS 346 – supersonic reconnaissance aircraft used for research
• Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet TransSonische Tragflügel (TST) — transonic supercritical wing research
• Dornier Do 29 – tilt rotor STOL

Heinkel He 178 pioneering turbojet-powered aircraft

• Dornier Do 31 – VTOL transport
• 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
• Focke-Wulf Fw 61 – first practical helicopter
• 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 G.VI — asymmetric flying surfaces
• 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 Ente – rocket-powered canard
• Lippisch P.13a — delta wing and use of coal
• Messerschmitt Me P.1101 — variable geometry (swing-wing) jet
• Opel RAK.1 – rocket propulsion
• RFB X-113 – wing in ground effect vehicle
• RFB X-114 – wing in ground effect vehicle
• Sack AS-6 – disk wing
• VFW VAK 191B – VTOL fighter
• Zeppelin-Lindau (Dornier) V1 — all-metal stressed skin construction biplane

Italy

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

• Ambrosini Sagittario – swept wing research aircraft
• Bossi-Bonomi Pedaliante — man-powered aircraft
• Caproni Campini N.1 – jet engine research
• Jona J-6 — tilting wing stabilisation system
• Lualdi-Tassotti ES 53 — gyro stabilized helicopter
• Piaggio P.111 – high-altitude research
• S.C.A. SS.2 – experimental canard
• S.C.A. SS.3 Anitra – experimental canard
• Stipa-Caproni – ducted prop research

Poland

• Flugtechnische Fertigungsgemeinschaft Prag FGP 227 – scale proof of concept for German BV 238

Japan

Gasuden Koken

• Gasuden Koken – long range experimental aircraft
• Honda MH02 — materials and engine placement
• Kawasaki Ki-78 — high speed research aircraft
• Kayaba Ku-2 — 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
• Shin Meiwa UF-XS – proof of concept demonstrator for Shin Meiwa US-1A

Russia/Soviet Union

Antonov A-40 tank glider

Bartini Beriev VVA-14 Ekranoplan

• Alexeyev Ekranoplans
• Antonov A-40 – tank glider
• Antonov 181 – custer channel wing demonstrator
• Bartini Beriev VVA-14 – Ekranoplan
• 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
• Kozlov PS – invisible aircraft (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
• Nikitin-Shevchenko IS – biplane/monoplane hybrid
• Sukhanov Diskoplan – disk wings
• Sukhoi T-4
• Sukhoi T-10 – technology demonstrator
• Sukhoi T-58VD – VTOL research aircraft
• Sukhoi Su-47
• Thermoplan – heavy lift lenticular-shaped hybrid airship technology demonstrator
• Tsybin LL – forward swept wing
• Tsybin NM-1 – proof of concept
• Tupolev ANT-20
• Tupolev Tu-95LAL – nuclear-powered aircraft
• Ushakov flying submarines
• Yakovlev Yak-36 – VTOL technology demonstrator
• Yakovlev Yak-1000 – supersonic technology demonstrator
• Zveno project – parasite fighters

Spain

Cierva C.6 autogiro

• Cierva C.4 – first autogyro to fly
• Cierva C.6 – autogyro

Sweden

• Saab 202 aerodynamic testbed for Saab 32 Lansen
• Saab 210 aerodynamic testbed for Saab 35 Draken

Switzerland

• Solar Impulse Project

Taiwan

• Chu Hummingbird — experimental helicopter

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

• Armstrong Whitworth Ape – aerodynamic test vehicle
• Armstrong Whitworth A.W.52 — flying wing
• Avro 707 – aerodynamic proof of concept for Avro Vulcan delta wing bomber
• Avro Ashton – jet engine research vehicle based on Avro Tudor
• BAC 221 – modified Fairey Delta 2 for high speed delta research
• Baynes Bat — experimental tailless glider
• Blackburn B-20 — retractable hull seaplane
• Boulton Paul P.6 – used for wing research
• Boulton Paul P.92 – half-scale proof of concept
• Boulton Paul P.111 — delta-wing research aircraft
• Boulton Paul P.120 — delta-wing research aircraft
• Bristol 138 – high-altitude research aircraft
• Bristol 188 — high speed flight research
• British Aerospace EAP – technology demonstrator
• Cierva W.9 – experimental helicopter with anti-torque jet efflux
• de Havilland DH 108 Swallow – swept wing tailless transsonic research aircraft
• English Electric P.1A — supersonic research aircraft
• Fairey Delta 1 — delta-wing research aircraft
• Fairey Delta 2 — delta-wing research aircraft
• Fairey Jet Gyrodyne – jet-powered rotor
• Folland Fo.108 – engine test bed
• General Aircraft GAL.56 — tailless swept wing glider
• Gloster E.28/39 – early jet engine research
• Gloster Meteor F8 «Prone Pilot» – prone position flight control research
• Gloster Trent Meteor — turboprop propulsion
• Hafner A.R.III Gyroplane – experimental autogyro
• Handley Page H.P.17 – aerodynamic slot research
• Handley Page H.P.20 – aerodynamic slot research
• Handley Page H.P.75 Manx – tailless flight research
• Handley Page HP.88 – supporting development of Handley Page Victor
• Handley Page HP.115 – low speed delta-wing research
• Hawker P.1052 — swept wing testbed that led to the Hawker Hunter
• Hawker P.1072 — testbed for Armstrong Siddeley Snarler rocket booster
• Hawker P.1127 – experimental V/STOL combat aircraft development aircraft that led to the Hawker Harrier
• Hillson Bi-mono – slip-wing research
• Hunting H.126 – blown flap research
• Miles M.3E Gillette Falcon – high speed flight research
• Miles M.30 – blended wing body design
• Miles M.35 Libellula – tandem-wing fighter testbed
• Miles M.39B Libellula – tandem-wing research
• Miles M.52 – supersonic flight research
• Parnall Parasol — wing pressure and aileron testing
• Parnall Peto — experimental submarine-launched aircraft.
• Parnall Prawn — flying boat testing buried engine with variable-angle thrust line
• Reid and Sigrist R.S.4 Bobsleigh — prone-pilot research
• Rolls-Royce Thrust Measuring Rig – low speed VTOL control test rig

Rolls-Royce thrust measuring rig VTOL testbed

• Saro Shrimp — experimental half-scale flying boat for development of cancelled Saunders-Roe S.38
• Saunders-Roe SR.53 — mixed rocket/jet propulsion development aircraft for cancelled Saunders-Roe SR.177
• Short Cockle – tested metal construction techniques for flying boat hulls
• Short Mayo Composite – tested piggyback aircraft concept
• Short Mussel – testing metal construction techniques for aircraft floats
• Short S.6 Sturgeon – tested aluminium construction techniques for aircraft
• Short S.31 — half-scale model for Short Stirling development
• Short SB.1 – tailless glider for isoclinic wing research
• Short SB.4 Sherpa — improved, powered version of Short SB.1
• Short SB.5 – prove/develop wing for English Electric Lightning
• Short SC.1 – VTOL research
• Short Silver Streak — stressed skin construction, developed into Short Springbok
• Supermarine 508 – development aircraft with vee tail
• Supermarine 525 — swept wing development aircraft for Supermarine Scimitar program
• Vickers Type 618 Nene-Viking – jet engine testbed
• Vickers Type 470 and Type 486 Wellington – Whittle jet engine testbeds
• Vickers Type 602 Wellington Mark X – Rolls-Royce Dart turboprop testbed
• Westland-Hill Pterodactyl — series of tailless monoplanes
• Youngman-Baynes High Lift — testbed for Youngman flaps

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

• Bell X-1 sound barrier
• Bell X-2 Mach 2–3 supersonic flight
• Douglas X-3 Stiletto sustained supersonic flight
• Northrop X-4 Bantam tailless aircraft
• Bell X-5 variable-sweep wing
• Convair X-6 nuclear reactor test aircraft (for future nuclear-powered aircraft)
• Lockheed X-7 «flying stove pipe» unmanned ramjet and guidance test missile
• Aerojet General X-8 sounding rocket (became Aerobee)
• Bell X-9 Shrike guided missile
• North American X-10 unmanned missile technology demonstrator
• Convair X-11 single engine missile testbed for Atlas
• Convair X-12 three engine missile testbed for Atlas
• Ryan X-13 Vertijet tail sitter VTOL jet
• Bell X-14 thrust vectoring VTOL jet
• North American X-15 hypersonic rocket-powered research aircraft (Mach 6)
• Lockheed X-17 research rocket testing high mach re-entry
• Hiller X-18 tiltwing STOVL cargo aircraft
• Curtiss-Wright X-19 VTOL tiltrotor
• X-20 Dyna-Soar spaceplane program (cancelled)
• Northrop X-21 laminar flow wing
• Bell X-22 ducted fan V/STOL
• Martin Marietta X-23 Prime lifting body reentry
• Martin-Marietta X-24 lifting body test aircraft
• Bensen X-25 single-seat autogyro
• Schweizer X-26 Frigate sailplane
• Lockheed X-27 Lancer proposed high-performance technology demonstrator based on Lockheed CL-1200 (only mockup built)
• Pereira X-28A Sea Skimmer single-seat flying boat evaluated by US Navy

Grumman X-29 forward swept wing and stability research aircraft

• Grumman X-29 forward-swept wing test aircraft
• Rockwell X-30 single-stage-to-orbit spacecraft (cancelled)
• Rockwell-MBB X-31 extreme angle of attack test aircraft
• Boeing X-32 Joint Strike Fighter Program entry (lost to X-35)
• Lockheed Martin X-33 unmanned scale demonstrator for VentureStar single stage to orbit spacecraft
• Orbital Sciences X-34 reusable launch vehicle testbed (only unpowered prototype built)
• Lockheed Martin X-35 Joint Strike Fighter Program entry winner; became F-35 Lightning II
• McDonnell Douglas X-36 tailless fighter research agility aircraft
• Boeing X-37 reusable unmanned spacecraft
• NASA X-38 crew return vehicle for International Space Station (cancelled after tests)
• X-39 reserved for USAF/DARPA program use
• Boeing X-40 Space Maneuver Vehicle testbed X-37 guidance and flight characteristics
• X-41 Common Aero Vehicle classified DARPA/NASA maneuvering re-entry vehicle
• X-42 Pop-Up Upper Stage classified rocket upper stage
• NASA X-43 Hyper-X hypersonic scramjet
• Lockheed Martin X-44 MANTA multi-axis tailless aircraft concept
• Boeing X-45 unmanned combat air vehicle
• Boeing X-46 unmanned combat air vehicle (proposal only)
• Northrop Grumman X-47 Pegasus unmanned combat air vehicle
• Boeing X-48 blended wing aircraft
• Piasecki X-49 compound helicopter technology demonstrator
• Boeing X-50 Dragonfly gyrodyne unmanned aerial vehicle
• Boeing X-51 Mach 5+ scramjet missile demonstrator
• X-53 Active Aeroelastic Wing wing warping flight demonstrator
• Gulfstream X-54 supersonic boom intensity research and demonstration aircraft
• Lockheed Martin X-55 advanced composites technology demonstrator
• Lockheed Martin X-56 flutter suppression and gust load testing unmanned testbed

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 – pusher configuration
• ALTUS, Pathfinder and Helios were NASA’s NASA Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology experimental aircraft
• AstroFlight Sunrise
• Ball-Bartoe Jetwing – blown wing research
• Bell D-292 – Advanced Composite Airframe Program
• Bell L-39 – swept wing research
• Bell Model 65 – tiltjet VTOL
• Bell XV-15 – tiltrotor VTOL and precursor to V-22 Osprey
• Bell 533 – a modified UH-1B helicopter used by the US Army for experimentation with various high speed technology enhancements
• Boeing ecoDemonstrator – three aircraft (as of 2016) used to test fuel efficiency and noise reduction technology for airliners
• Budd BB-1 Pioneer – stainless steel construction
• Burnelli RB-1 – lifting body proof of concept vehicle
• Chrysler VZ-6 – ducted fan
• Convair NB-36 – nuclear propelled aircraft testbed
• Curtiss-Wright VZ-7
• Curtiss-Wright X-100 – tilt rotor VTOL (developed into X-200 and X-19)
• Custer Channel Wings
• DARPA Falcon Project
• Doak VZ-4 – tilt-fan VTOL
• Douglas D-558-I Skystreak – supersonic research
• Douglas D-558-II Skyrocket – supersonic research
• Fairchild VZ-5 – deflected air VTOL
• Farrar LSG-1 Bird Flight Machine

Lockheed Vega Winnie Mae high-altitude research aircraft – confirmed existence of jet stream

• Gee Bee Model Q – canard built to test concept
• General Dynamics F-16XL – cranked delta wing strike fighter; F-15E Competitor
• General Dynamics F-16 VISTA – variable stability
• Gossamer Albatross – human-powered flight
• Gossamer Condor – human-powered flight
• Hiller VZ-1 Pawnee – direct lift rotor platform
• Johns Multiplane — Seven wing heavy aircraft
• Kaman K-125 – experimental intermesh rotor helicopter
• Kaman K-16 – modified Grumman Goose Xused for V/STOL research
• Lockheed Altair8-G – twinned engine testbed (both engines were in a single cowl)
• 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
• Martin 162A Tadpole Clipper – proof of concept aircraft
• Martin XB-26H Marauder – tandem undercarriage
• NASA AD-1 Oblique Wing
• 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
• Republic XF-91 Thunderceptor – inversely tapered swept wing
• Rockwell HiMAT — Maneuverability and control research
• Rotary Rocket Roton
• Ryan VZ-3 Vertiplane – blown flap VTOL research
• Ryan XV-5 Vertifan – fan lift VTOL research
• Sawyer Skyjacker II – Low aspect ratio research aircraft

Vought V-173 disk wing research aircraft

• Scaled Composites Proteus — telecommunication relay testbed
• Schweizer SGS 1-29 — laminar flow research
• Sikorsky S-69 – compound co-axial research
• Sikorsky S-72 – helicopter/aircraft hybrid research
• Sikorsky S-75 – Advanced Composite Aircraft Program
• Sikorsky S-76 SHADOW – Sikorsky Helicopter Advanced Demonstrator and Operator Workload
• Stinson L-1 Vigilant – 1 example modified for boundary layer experiments
• Travel Air 2000 Besler steam aircraft
• Vertol VZ-2 – tilt wing VTOL research
• Vought V-173 «Flying Pancake» – disk wing research for Vought XF5U
• Vought V-326 – high-altitude test aircraft
• Vought-Sikorsky VS-300 – helicopter

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Published in April 2019.

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