Cruelbreed
05-20-2009, 01:48 AM
I never knew about this. It was scrapped in a competition with F-15E but it's cool as HELL!
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bf/F-16xl.jpg
This thing accidently achieved suprcruise when fitted with a General Electric F110-129 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Electric_F110) engine
Off Wiki
At the conclusion of their test programs in 1999, both F-16XLs were placed into storage at NASA Dryden. In 2007, NASA approached Lockheed Martin to request a study into the feasibility and cost of returning F-16XL #1 to flight status and upgrading it with many of the improvements found in the USAF's Block 40 F-16s. As of July, 2007, the study is still underway, however in the meantime F-16XL #1 has been taxi tested at Dryden and given systems checks.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bf/F-16xl.jpg
This thing accidently achieved suprcruise when fitted with a General Electric F110-129 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Electric_F110) engine
Off Wiki
At the conclusion of their test programs in 1999, both F-16XLs were placed into storage at NASA Dryden. In 2007, NASA approached Lockheed Martin to request a study into the feasibility and cost of returning F-16XL #1 to flight status and upgrading it with many of the improvements found in the USAF's Block 40 F-16s. As of July, 2007, the study is still underway, however in the meantime F-16XL #1 has been taxi tested at Dryden and given systems checks.