Boeing X-32 | The laughing jet
Fact for 2/6/2021
FACTS
The Boeing X-32 is a concept demonstrator aircraft that was designed for the Joint Strike Fighter competition. It lost to the Lockheed Martin X-35 demonstrator, which was further developed into the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II.
It was an Experimental Stealth fighter designed by Boeing
which took its first flight on 18 september 2000


History


In 1993, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency launched the Common Affordable Lightweight Fighter project . The project's purpose was to develop a stealth-enabled design to replace all of United States Department of Defense lighter weight fighter and attack aircraft, including the F-16 Fighting Falcon, McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet, and vertical/short takeoff / vertical landing AV-8B Harrier II. Around the same time the Joint Advanced Strike Technology project was started. In 1994, the U.S. Congress ordered the two to be merged into the Joint Strike Fighter program
n 16 November 1996, Boeing and Lockheed Martin were awarded contracts for them to produce two of their concept demonstrator aircraft each. Under the contract, these fighters were required to demonstrate conventional take-off and landing , carrier take-off and landing , and short take-off and vertical landing . They were also expected to include ground demonstrations of a production representative aircraft's systems, such as the Preferred Weapon System Concept.
Design

