The F-16XL
An F-16XL aircraft is being used by the Dryden Flight Research Center,
Edwards, Calif., in a NASA-wide program to improve laminar airflow on aircraft
flying at sustained supersonic speeds. It is the first program to look
at laminar flow on sweptwings at speeds faster than sound.
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Technological data from the program will be available for the development
of future high speed aircraft, including commercial transports.
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The initial research phase of the program at Dryden was flown by a
single-seat F-16XL. This aircraft is now being used at Dryden in a sonic
boom research project with the SR-71.
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The aircraft at Dryden now being used for the supersonic laminar flow
program is the two-seat F-16XL, identical to its sistership except for
the cockpit configuration.
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The two aircraft are the only F-16XLs built and are being used by NASA
because the unique delta wing design is representative of the type of wing
that will probably be used on future supersonic cruise aircraft.
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The aircraft was originally considered as the Air Force's new plane,
but then the competition between the YF-22 and YF-23 made that history.
Crew: F-16XL No. 2, being used in the current phase
of the laminar flow project, has a two-seat cockpit. F-16XL No. 1, used
in the 1991-1992 tests, is a single-seat aircraft.
Size: Length, 54.2 feet (16.52 m); wingspan, 34.3 feet (10.45
m); height at vertical tail, 17.7 feet (5.39 m).
Max. Weight: 48,000 pounds (17915.60 kg)
Engines: The two-seat aircraft at NASA Dryden has a General Electric
F110-GE-129 engine (with afterburner) rated at 29,000 pounds thrust. The
single-seat F-16XL is powered by a Pratt and Whitney 100-PW-100 engine
(with afterburner), rated at 23,830 pounds thrust.
Controls: Both aircraft feature an analog fly-by-wire electronic
flight control system.
Wing Construction: The delta (cranked arrow) wings on both aircraft
are manufactured of advanced graphite composites to provide strength for
high wing loads during flight.
Design Load: 9 "Gs" (In the research configuration,
3 "Gs")
Max. Speed: XL No. 2, Mach 2 (Approx. 1400 mph) (2253 k/hr);
XL No. 1, Mach 1.8
Range: Over 2,500 nautical miles (4630 k), without in-flight
refueling, and unlimited with in-flight refueling
![[The F-16XL]](f-16xl.jpg)
