EADS/Boeing X-31A
Type (Muster)
Experimental aircraft for high angle of attack research (Versuchsflugzeug zur Erforschung von Flügen mit hohen Anstellwinkeln)

Country (Land)
Germany/USA (Deutschland/USA)

Manufacturer (Hersteller)
EADS Militärflugzeuge
81663 Munich
Germany
Phone: 0049-89/607-27081
Fax: 0033-89/607-24096

Boeing (previously Rockwell International) is a partner in the programme

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Nice program, but I doubt those projects ever produce a whole new way of propulsing a (fighter) aircraft.
The USAF an RAF have been testing thrust vectoring technologies since the '60's...
Surely the X-29 has proven a lot of things, and the russian SU-37 is awesome, but the G-forces on the pilot are pushed to the maximum...

HERE is a recent press release about the X-31

The Vector X-31A is now an important program for the german economy. i know that it's a technology demonstrator but with the Bankrupt of Dornier GmbH last year, EADS must recenter his activities and has relaunch the VECTOR/X-31A this year...

Yestersday, I had and read the 2002 report and 2003 previsions for EADS :

Airbus A380 - A400M - Eurofighter and Eurohawk - Iridium - UK Skynet5 program and Air to Air Meteor missiles are in progress and will be the most important contract for 2003-2004.

There's a bit at Boeing's own site on it: www.boeing.com...

The most recent update I've seen is on defense-aerospace (a site I'd recommend to those who are not familiar with it)
www.defense-aerospace.com...


[Edited on 23-5-2003 by Estragon]

Still i think it's a wate of money.
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They could have tested that with the F-15 ACTIVE (Advanced Control Technology for Integrated Vehicles), the F-18 High Alpha Research Vehicle (HARV) or even the F-22 if they wanted to...

No, because these 3 planes (f15 f18 f22) have VAC wings and for VTOL-VSTOL with trust vectorial reactor, they need planes with great surface wings...

I read that EADS would continue the project.

This effort is fairly impressive. They have been able to achieve a 24-alpha landing with the X-31 and take 30% (58 kt) off the landing speed. Where it took approximately 8000 ft to bring the X-31 to a stop, they have now demonstrated that they can turn completely around and head back down the runway at 1700 ft! The landing sequences are completely automated until the aircraft hits the concrete because the timing of the derotation maneuver is so critical it can't be left to human response.

Get a load of this. The first landing was done at 22 degree AOA. The next 11 at 24 degrees. Of these 11 landing at 24 AOA, they started derotation at 2 ft above the tarmak...and never missed that mark more than 4 inches.

That's what I call repeatable.