General Dynamics F-16XL

The General Dynamics F-16XL was an experimental derivative of the F-16 Fighting Falcon with a large cranked-arrow delta wing, developed by General Dynamics Fort Worth under the Supersonic Cruise and Maneuver Prototype project led by Harry Hillaker. The United States Air Force provided the fuselages of the third and fifth production F-16s to be converted, and these two aircraft remained the only examples built. The F-16XL entered the Enhanced Tactical Fighter competition in 1981 to replace the F-111 but lost to the F-15E Strike Eagle in February 1984. NASA then used both aircraft from 1988 for supersonic laminar flow research with active suction wing gloves, and the second aircraft briefly reached Mach 1.1 at military power. Both were retired in 2009 and stored at Edwards Air Force Base, and one is now on display.