The X (Plane) Files! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Bell

Bell was a premier X-plane builder in the late 40s - early 50s. Besides the three X-1 aircraft, Its other products included the X-1A-B-D series, the X-1E (a modified X-1), the X-2 and the X-5.

Answer: All of them

Jack Northrop was a die-hard believer in the 'flying wing' concept. His company rolled out the XB-35, powered by four piston engines, in 1946. The YB-49 was a jet-powered derivative, with eight engines buried in the wings. The YRB-49 reconnaissance bomber was Northrop's last shot at a production contract for the {design;} it had four jets buried in the wings and two slung in underwing pods. (Interestingly, when Northrop Aircraft *did* finally hit pay dirt in the 1990s with the B-2 stealth bomber, its wingspan -- 172 feet -- was exactly that of the original XB-35!)

Answer: Douglas Skyrocket

Crossfield used an all-rocket-powered version of the sleek Skyrocket to break Mach 2. His record was {short-lived;} Chuck Yeager zoomed to Mach 2.44 in the Bell X-1A on December 12.

Answer: Stiletto

While the X-3's long, needle-nosed fuselage and tiny wings justified its 'Stiletto' name, it was a real dog as an X-plane. Originally intended to study flight at Mach 2, it could barely reach Mach 1 because of underpowered engines and tricky flying characteristics.

The X-3's wing design *was* subsequently used by Lockheed on its F-104 fighter series -- the real 'Missile With A Man In It!'

Answer: Variable-sweep wings

The X-5 actually was a scaled-up version of a Nazi fighter prototype, the P.1101. The Bell aircraft verified the aerodynamic advantages of varying wing sweep angle in flight, paving the way for later designs such as the F-111 Aardvark, F-14 Tomcat and B-1B Lancer.

Answer: Lifting bodies

NASA and the Air Force explored the 'lifting body' concept from 1963 to 1975. A lifting body is basically a wingless vehicle that flies using aerodynamic lift generated by the shape of its fuselage. The concept is being used today in NASA's X-33 and X-38 test space vehicles. (Footnote: Spectacular footage of an M2F2 crash was used in the opening sequence of ABC's 'Six Million Dollar Man' series!)

Answer: Neil Armstrong

As a NASA civilian test pilot, Neil Armstrong made seven flights in the X-15 from December 1960 to July 1962. Armstrong wasn't the only astronaut to participate in the {program;} space shuttle commander Joe Engle made 16 X-15 flights, exceeding Mach 5 (five times the speed of sound) on 10 of them.

Answer: Forward-swept wings

With its forward-swept wings, the X-29 was an odd-looking machine. The wings were mounted toward the rear of the fuselage, and canards -- small wings to control up-and-down movements -- were in front of the wings instead of on the tail. Grumman, NASA and Air Force pilots flew the two X-29 aircraft from 1984 to 1992.

Interestingly, a recent Russian fighter prototype design, the Sukhoi S-37 Berkut, uses forward-swept wings and canards, and looks almost like the X-29's big brother!

Answer: Edwards AFB

Edwards became the nation's premier flight test center in the 1950s. The Navy's NATC at Pax River is that service's equivalent, but it has never achieved the fame that Edwards has. (Appropriately, Edwards AFB was named for USAF Captain Glen Edwards, who was killed testing the Northrop YB-49 flying wing.)

Answer: War of the Worlds

As a last-ditch measure, the YB-49 is ordered to nuke the Martian 'nest' outside Los Angeles -- alas, to no avail. The Martians' protective shield keeps them safe from the blast.