Originally posted by Tigeress
It's a very beautiful looking design. Which one is it?
TIGERESS
the X-3 Stiletto. first flown Oct 1952, underpowered
Arlo, it wasnt entirely a flop...or a dog...
[qoute]For the X-3, the roll coupling flight was the high point of its history. The aircraft was grounded for nearly a year after the flight, and never again explored its roll stability and control boundaries. Walker made another 10 flights between September 20, 1955, and the last on May 23, 1956. The aircraft was subsequently retired to the US Air Force Museum. Although the X-3 never met its intention of providing aerodynamic data in Mach 2 cruise, its short service was of value. It showed the dangers of roll inertia coupling, and provided early flight test data on the phenomena. Its wing planform was used in the F-104, and it was one of the first aircraft to use titanium. Finally, the X-3's very high take off and landing speeds required improvements in tire technology. [/quote]
