X-44 X-44A X44 MANTA multi-axis-no-tail-aircraft

This is a short (but rare) computer animation someone sent to me years ago, showing a flight by the experimental X-44 MANTA.

As is obvious to most people, its based on the F-22, but it would appear to have rounded exhaust ports rather than the boxy rectangular ones on the F-22.

Anyway, please comment, tell me your thoughts about this airplane. Other tailless aircraft of interest with different airframe design would include the X-36.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• X-44
• X-44A
• MANTA
• tailless

[hmodywakid]

watch out the chines might copy it

[nightowl8936]

@hmodywakid

"watch out the chines might copy it"

I wish them luck. Much as I like and enjoy the sleek beauty of airframes, the real action is in the jet engine engineering and the avionics, and the Chinese simply do not have the skill to make anything like these.

Its one reason we don't see cheap Chinese knockoffs of microprocessors, or jet engines. They may be able to get samples, but cannot infer the processes used to make it properly or reliably without self-destructing.

[TheStephenShow]

If b-2s and f-22s fell in love, then x-44 MANTAs would exist.

[nightowl8936]

If you like exploring hypothetical designs then you should track down the various Chinese "secret" designs that have been "leaked" over the last little while.

The are beautiful to look at and would probably fly, but are likely doing something wasteful such as replicating functionality in some way, ie. having thrust vectoring AND canard foreplanes, for example.

Sometimes I think about how I would design a fighter, and I am drawn to the X-36.

YF-23 remains my favorite in terms of looks.

[firefoxluver4ever]

people cant seem to get this though there heads! The G forces would kill the pilot and this would only be practical in a automated aircraft. Even the f16 and f22 have to have limiters put on them to prevent the death of the pilot.

[ChiefIlliniwek8]

Sorry I can't reply directly on an iPod but regarding your comment below the b2 that crashed at andersen I think it was was destroyed after a malfunction taking off, the crew ejected, $1,000,000,000 lost.

But for the 117 China suddenly has stealth, you think serbia had something to do with it? Suspicious.

[makemap]

@firefoxluver4ever Apart you have to use chute all the time for the landing. Landing way too fast.

[bylvinkle]

ok how many su-37 are used? 1, 2 or 10?

[1Bengalor]

THE NEW ERA IN AVIATION STARTED in ISRAEL with FIRST-EVER flight of Stealth, Tailless 3D Vectoring [STV]. ([May 18, 1987, Av. Week). Facebook video ["Benjamin Gal-Or"] and the book "VECTORED Propulsion, SUPER-MANEUVERABILITY & ROBOT AIRCRAFT" explain Super-Kill-Ratio, Extra TO/Land-safety (Civil & military) gained by STV, thereby ending total dominance of the common stall/spin dangerous aero-control. EF, F35, F22 are not STV while unmanned NGB, or ? may. Cf. X44MANTA, X47b, RQ170, T50, B2, FB22.

[s020015]

It wastes resources if United States attacked it with either F-22 or F-35, because Iran didn't have 1 system or equipment to detect it and the weapons are too, you know, 'OLD', maybe they still using Korean War Era Weapon! Iran will lose their economy on buying advanced equipment(s), and if they bought it, I bet they don't know how to use it well! :) (They still don't have experience on using advanced weapon systems.)

[nightowl8936]

"we downed 2 F117 and one B2B, I watched them falling ..."

Here's what I Googled:

"Serbian air defenses managed to string together a series of brief sightings, perhaps starting as early as the F-117's takeoff in Italy, to project the F-117's course and loft an anti-aircraft missile at the F-117 when it was most vulnerable."

As for the B2B ... where is the wreckage?

I think you enjoy seeing America get its nose bloodied too much. Just focus on engineering if you want to be smart.