The Boeing X-32 was a Concept Demonstrator Aircraft (CDA) built as a multi-purpose jet fighter in the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) contest which started in 1996.
Boeing built two variants, the X-32A and X-32B, which together performed Conventional Take-Off and Landings (CTOL), Short Take-Off and Vertical Landings (STOVL), and as a Carrier Variant (CV). The X-35’s CDA bested the X-32 in the competition by consolidating the contract’s requirements into a single airframe which was further developed into the F-35 Lightning II.
First flying in September 2000, the X-32 made a total of 66 flights during its four months of testing. The flights demonstrated the aircraft's handling qualities for inflight refueling, weapons bay operations, and supersonic flight.
The aircraft was delivered to the National Museum of the United States Air Force in 2005 and placed on display following restoration in May 2024.
TECHNICAL NOTES
Crew: one
Engines: One Pratt &Whitney JSF119-614 afterburning turbofan of approx. 50,000 lbs. thrust
Max Speed: Mack 1.2
Range: Approx. 950 miles
X-32 Video: Boeing X-32A Video/Photo Shoot(NMUSAF Dec 2023)
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