Air Force Flight Test Museum

The number one X-4 Bantam (foreground/right) is now part of the indoor collection of aircraft in the Air Force Flight Test Center Museum at Edwards AFB, Calif.Two X-4s were built by the Northrop Corporation, but the first was found to be mechanically unsound and after 10 flights it was grounded and used to provide parts for the second. While being tested from 1950 to 1953 at the NACA High-Speed Flight Research Station (now Edwards Air Force Base), the X-4's semi-tailless configuration exhibited inherent longitudinal stability problems as it approached the speed of sound. It was concluded that (with the control technology available at the time) tailless craft were not suited for transonic flight. (U.S. Air Force photo by Rebecca Amber)

PHOTO BY: Rebecca Amber

VIRIN: 130809-F-ED412-004.JPG

FULL SIZE: 2.84 MB

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IMAGE IS PUBLIC DOMAIN

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