designation. There are no public plans to make this a production aircraft. It is characterized as a technology demonstrator. this aircraft's name is similar to the Klingon Bird of Prey warship from Star Trek. The Bird of Prey is designed to prevent shadows and is believed to have been used to test active camouflage, which would involve its surfaces changing color or luminosity to match the surroundings. Because it was a demonstration aircraft, the Bird of Prey used a commercial off-the-shelf turbofan engine and manual hydraulic controls rather than fly-by-wire. This shortened the development time and reduced the cost significantly (a production aircraft would have computerized controls).The Bird of Prey formally started in 1992 and the USAF agreed to provide flight-test facilities and security, including chase aircraft and access to a secure flight-test center. Though its primary mission was to demonstrate stealth technology, it also allowed Boeing's Phantom Works the company's special-projects arm to demonstrate it could build prototype airplanes quickly and cheaply. The airplane was
made from a small number of carbon fiber composite parts, and - amazingly, in view of its shape, - had a simple all-manual flight control system without a computer in sight.The Bird of Prey has made 38 flights since being secretly launched in 1996. The once highly classified project ran from 1992 through 1999, and was revealed because the technologies and capabilities developed have become industry standards, and it is no longer necessary to conceal the aircraft's existence. Boeing pilot Joe Felock made it clear that the Bird of Prey named after a Klingon spacecraft from Star Trek was a low-performance demonstrator, designed to put a representative shape into the air with minimum time and expense. Maximum speed was 260kt and the highest altitude achieved was 20,000ft. The 14.2kN Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15D-5 engine would have been working hard to propel a small-winged 3,360kg aircraft even if it were not breathing through a tortuous inlet; Northrop Grumman, using the same engine on its X-47A Pegasus unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) demonstrator, has reported problems in reducing duct losses.
made from a small number of carbon fiber composite parts, and - amazingly, in view of its shape, - had a simple all-manual flight control system without a computer in sight.The Bird of Prey has made 38 flights since being secretly launched in 1996. The once highly classified project ran from 1992 through 1999, and was revealed because the technologies and capabilities developed have become industry standards, and it is no longer necessary to conceal the aircraft's existence. Boeing pilot Joe Felock made it clear that the Bird of Prey named after a Klingon spacecraft from Star Trek was a low-performance demonstrator, designed to put a representative shape into the air with minimum time and expense. Maximum speed was 260kt and the highest altitude achieved was 20,000ft. The 14.2kN Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15D-5 engine would have been working hard to propel a small-winged 3,360kg aircraft even if it were not breathing through a tortuous inlet; Northrop Grumman, using the same engine on its X-47A Pegasus unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) demonstrator, has reported problems in reducing duct losses.Designed, produced and demonstrated by Boeing Phantom Works, th
e company's advanced research & development unit that serves as a catalyst of innovation for the enterprise, both aircraft will now be on permanent display at the museum, located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. The Boeing-funded Bird of Prey pioneered breakthrough low-observable technologies and revolutionized aircraft design, development and production techniques. The once highly classified project extended from 1992 through 1999, and developed technologies and capabilities that have become industry standards. Jointly funded under a 50/50 cost-sharing arrangement between Boeing and NASA, the X-36 is a 28-percent scale tailless agility flight demonstrator, designed, built, and successfully flight-tested between 1993 and 1998. The remotely piloted research aircraft combined several key emerging technologies to demonstrate for the first time, tailless high angle of attack agility, and low-observability in a combat style unmanned configuration.
e company's advanced research & development unit that serves as a catalyst of innovation for the enterprise, both aircraft will now be on permanent display at the museum, located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. The Boeing-funded Bird of Prey pioneered breakthrough low-observable technologies and revolutionized aircraft design, development and production techniques. The once highly classified project extended from 1992 through 1999, and developed technologies and capabilities that have become industry standards. Jointly funded under a 50/50 cost-sharing arrangement between Boeing and NASA, the X-36 is a 28-percent scale tailless agility flight demonstrator, designed, built, and successfully flight-tested between 1993 and 1998. The remotely piloted research aircraft combined several key emerging technologies to demonstrate for the first time, tailless high angle of attack agility, and low-observability in a combat style unmanned configuration.
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