The X-29 on display at NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center

The X-29 was built to explore state-of-the-art technologies in aircraft design. The most easily identified of these, the forward-swept wing, was combined with advanced materials, a forward mounted elevator (canard) and an electrical flight control system. The purpose of this combination of features was to test how well all these elements worked together before they were used in future aircraft.



Both Germany and the United States experimented with FSW aircraft during World War II but did not use them operationally. One problem with the new design was that the wings could not be made rigid enough to keep them from bending dangerously at higher speeds. In the 1970s, however, composite materials became available, and wing structures could be built that were both lightweight and very rigid.



Grumman began building the first of two X-29As in 1982. The program was administered by the USAF and jointly funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the Air Force and NASA.



The first X-29A, the one on display at the museum, made its initial flight on Dec. 14, 1984, at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. On Dec. 13, 1985, during its 26th flight, this aircraft became the world's first FSW aircraft to exceed the speed of sound in level flight.



After successfully completing the test program, the X-29A was retired to the museum in late 1994. The second X-29A made its first flight on May 23, 1989, and continued to perform test flights well into the 1990s.



SPECIFICATIONS:

Span: 27 ft. 2 in.

Length: 48 ft. 1 in.

Height: 14 ft. 3 in.

Weight: 17,303 lbs. maximum

Armament: None

Engine: General Electric F404 turbofan engine of 16,000 lbs. thrust

Crew: One

Serial number: 82-003



PERFORMANCE:

Maximum speed: 1,200 mph

Cruising speed: 460 mph

Maximum endurance: 60 minutes

Service ceiling: 55,000 ft.

