Grumman X-29

X-29
A Grumman X-29 in flight
General information
TypeExperimental aircraft
National originUnited States
ManufacturerGrumman
StatusRetired
Primary usersUnited States Air Force
Number built2
History
First flight14 December 1984

The Grumman X-29 is an American experimental aircraft that tested a forward-swept wing, canard control surfaces, and other novel aircraft technologies. Funded by NASA, the United States Air Force and DARPA, the X-29 was developed by Grumman, and the two built were flown by NASA and the United States Air Force.[1] The aerodynamic instability of the X-29's airframe required the use of computerized fly-by-wire control. Composite materials were used to control the aeroelastic divergent twisting experienced by forward-swept wings, and to reduce weight. The aircraft first flew in 1984, and two X-29s were flight tested through 1991.

  1. ^ Prisco, Jacopo (12 July 2019). "X-29: NASA's ambitious 1980s fighter jet with inverted wings". CNN. Retrieved 30 May 2024.