Douglas X-3 Stiletto

Douglas X-3 Stiletto
Maa	Yhdysvallat
Rooli	Kokeellinen
Ensimmäinen lento	15. lokakuuta 1952
Rakennettu	1

Nniiden Douglas X-3 korkokenkä oli 1950-luvun yhdysvaltalainen kokeellinen suihkukone, jossa oli hoikka runko ja pitkä kapeneva nenä, valmistaja Douglas Aircraft Company. Sen ensisijainen tehtävä oli tutkia jatkuviin yliääninopeuksiin soveltuvan lentokoneen suunnitteluominaisuuksia, joihin sisältyi titaanin ensimmäinen käyttö tärkeimmissä lentokoneen rungon osissa. Douglas suunnitteli X-3:n tavoitteenaan noin 2 000 m.p.h:n maksiminopeus, mutta se oli kuitenkin vakavasti alitehoinen tähän tarkoitukseen eikä voinut edes ylittää Mach 1:tä tasalennossa. Vaikka tutkimuslentokone oli pettymys, Lockheedin suunnittelijat käyttivät Lockheed F-104 Starfighterin X-3-testien tietoja, joissa käytettiin samanlaista puolisuunnikkaan muotoista siipirakennetta onnistuneessa Mach 2 -hävittäjässä.

Lähde: Douglas X-3 korkokenkä Wikipediassa

Douglas X-3 Stiletto Walk Around
Photographers	Randy Ray, John Heck
Localisation	National Museum of the USAF
Photos	64

Douglas X-3 Stiletto 01

Douglas X-3 Stiletto 02

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Douglas X-3 Stiletto 07

Douglas X-3 Stiletto 08

Douglas X-3 Stiletto 09

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Odota, etsitään Douglas X-3 Stilettoa puolestasi ...

Douglas X-3 Walk Around
Valokuvaaja	Garfield Ingram
Lokalisointi	Ei tietää
Valokuvat	35

Katso myös:

Douglas X-3 Stiletto Walk Around
Photographer	Meindert de Vreeze
Localisation	National Museum of the USAF
Photos	44

The Shape of Things to Come

Nniiden Douglas X-3 korkokenkä was perhaps the most visually striking experimental aircraft of the 1950s. Designed to test the effects of sustained supersonic flight, it featured a slender fuselage, a long, tapered nose, and tiny, trapezoidal wings. While the X-3 failed to reach its intended design speeds due to being severely underpowered, it became an invaluable research tool for structural engineering, pioneering the use of titanium in aircraft construction and providing the data that made the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter possible.

Attribute	Technical Specification (Douglas X-3)
Rooli	Experimental High-Speed Research Aircraft
miehistö	1 (Pilot)
First Flight	October 15, 1952
Voimalaitos	2 × Westinghouse J34-WE-17 afterburning turbojets
Thrust	3,370 lbf (15.0 kN) each / 4,850 lbf with afterburner
Enimmäisnopeus	Mach 1.21 (Reached) / Mach 2.0 (Design Goal)
Siipiväli	22 ft 8 in (6.91 m)
pituus	66 ft 9 in (20.35 m)

Design Innovations and Challenges

High Fineness Ratio: The X-3 had an incredibly high “fineness ratio” (length vs. width), designed to pierce the “sound barrier” with minimal drag. Its nose was so long that the pilot sat far back from the tip, necessitating a specialized downward-ejection seat.
The First Titanium Jet: The X-3 was the first aircraft to make extensive use of titanium in its major airframe components. This was necessary to handle the “thermal thicket”—the intense heat generated by air friction at speeds above Mach 2.
Underpowered Reality: The original plan called for Westinghouse J46 engines, which failed to materialize. The substitute J34 engines were so weak that the X-3 could barely exceed Mach 1 in a level flight, usually requiring a dive to reach supersonic speeds.
Trapezoidal Wings: The wings were tiny, thin, and straight (non-swept). This design offered low drag at supersonic speeds but made takeoffs and landings extremely dangerous, with a landing speed of roughly 200 mph (322 km/h).

Inertial Coupling and Legacy

Inertial Coupling Discovery: During a test flight in 1954, pilot Joseph Walker experienced “inertial coupling”—a violent, uncontrollable roll/yaw maneuver caused by the mass distribution of the long fuselage. This data was critical in redesigning the tail surfaces of the F-100 Super Sabre.
The “Starfighter” Connection: The thin, stubby wing data from the X-3 was directly applied by Kelly Johnson at Lockheed to create the F-104 Tähtihävittäjä, often called the “Missile with a Man in It.”
Tire Technology: Because of its exceptionally high takeoff and landing speeds, the X-3 forced engineers to develop entirely new high-pressure tire compounds and heat-resistant wheel assemblies.
Preservation: The sole surviving X-3 Stiletto is currently on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio.