Rockwell-MBB X-31

Rockwell International · United States · first flew 1990 · fighter

The Rockwell-MBB X-31 was a joint American-German experimental aircraft designed to demonstrate enhanced fighter manoeuvrability through thrust-vectoring paddles, allowing controlled flight well beyond normal aerodynamic stall limits. It proved the concept of post-stall manoeuvring in air combat.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Mid-mounted, delta
E — Engines	1 × turbofan, fuselage-mounted
F — Fuselage	12.21 m fuselage
T — Tail	No tailplane

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Spot it by:

Thrust-vectoring post-stall agility demonstrator
Canard-delta configuration with no horizontal tail
US-German joint research programme

Identified by its canard-delta planform, the distinctive thrust-vectoring paddles at the jet exhaust, absence of a conventional horizontal tail, and a strake-blended fuselage typical of agile demonstrators.

Specifications

The Rockwell-MBB X-31 has a length of 12.21 m (40 ft).
It has a wingspan of 7.26 m (24 ft).
Its maximum speed is 1449 km/h (900 mph).
Typical crew: 1.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

A product of collaboration between Rockwell International and Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm, the X-31 first flew in 1990 and completed over 580 flights. It famously demonstrated the 'Herbst manoeuvre', a rapid 180-degree direction reversal, and contributed directly to later agile fighter designs.

Variants

Two aircraft were built with minor avionics differences; one was lost in a crash in 1995 due to pitot icing, leaving a single example to complete the programme.

Where you'll see it

Operated solely as a research aircraft by the US Navy, DARPA, NASA, and the German aerospace establishment; never entered production service.

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