"JASA ContractorReport198058 Flight Testing the X-36-The Test Pilot's Perspective Laurence A. Walker Boeing AS& TPhantom Works St. Louis.Missouri Prepared for NASA Dryden FlightResearch Center Edwards.California Under NASA Ames ResearchCenter Contract NAS 2-1426 1997 National Aeronauticsand Space Administration DrydenFlight Research Center Edwards.California 93523-0273 FLIGHT TESTINGTHE X36-THE TEST PILOT'S PERSPECTIVE Laurence A.Walker (F) Boeing AS&TPhantom Works Fromtheh g i n n i n g ~ of avi::nion.designershavesoughtwaystocreatefaster. lighter,moremaneuverahledesigns.Taillessdesignshavehadthepromiseof reducing structuralweight.acrouynarrllcdragandcost,hutattheincreasedcom-plexityofacomplicatedcontrolsystemandnon-traditionalcontrolsurfaces. Recently,stealthhasalsobecomeanimportantdesignconsideration.Fortunately twokeyenablingtechnologlCshavemadeablendoftheseattributespossible. Thesearedigitalflightcontroltechnologyandthevast advancesincomputational analysiswhichpermitintegrationoflowobservabletechnOlogiesandadvanced aerodynamicdesign.TheX-36representsaradicalintegrationof thesctechnolo-giesinto a practicalresearch aircraft. TheX-36Programisacooperativeresearchanddemonstrationprngram between NASAAmesResearch Center andBoeing AS&TPhantom Works.rund-ingisbased ona roaghly5050 coslsharing arrangement;thecostfordeveloping. fabricatingandOighttestingiheX-36is estimated atabout $20 miilioll. Cost WasamajordriverinthedeCisiontodemonstratethesetechnologiesina ,ubscalerescHrchaircraft.Since