X-Planes and Prototypes: From Nazi Secret Weapons to the Warplanes of the Future

X stands for the unknown in mathematics and physics. An “X-Plane” is an experimental or research aircraft designed to explore the boundaries of aeronautical science, and the term has become shorthand for any development model, research aircraft, or technology demonstrator. Fuelled by the desire to conquer the unknown, the aviation industry has created some of the most remarkable and spectacular aircraft ever to fly, including rocket-powered spacecraft, vertical take-off airplanes, giant transporters, and experimental rotorcraft. X-planes are by no means exclusively military. In just over a century, civilian engineers and test pilots have advanced aeronautics from the tentative hops of the Wright Flyer to beyond the atmosphere with the SpaceShipOne, and are certain to go higher, faster, and further.X-Planes and Prototypes details 150 of these incredible and unusual aircraft, from the early years of aviation to the present day, exploring their capabilities, features, and development. Each aircraft is illustrated with a full page photograph, annotated to show particularly unusual or experimental features, while the lively text provides an insight into the history and test career of each type, alongside archive images from the aircraft’s heyday, artwork, or diagrams. Features 150 experimental and test aircraft designed to explore the extreme limits of aeronautical science Includes performance figures, full technical specifications, and detailed development history Each type is illustrated with annotated photography and artwork, highlighting the most unusual and innovative design features.