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Lockheed Martin X-44 MANTA (Multi-Axis, No-Tail Aircraft)

1999 MODERN AIRCRAFT X-PLANE

History of the Lockheed Martin X-44 MANTA (multi-rotor tailless aircraft)

In the 1980s, the United States Air Force (USAF) developed the Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) program to find America's next front-line fighter. This eventually led to the flight between the Lockheed Martin YF-22 and the Northrop Grumman YF-23 (both are detailed elsewhere on this page).

The former won, and the YF-22 (as the "Raptor") entered service with the US Air Force in December 2005 - becoming the world's first 5th generation fighter platform.

Even during the development of the F-22, a significantly improved form of the aircraft was considered, namely the X-44 "MANTA" ("multi-rotor tailless aircraft"). This branch is essentially the basic design of the F-22 Raptor minus its tail.

The type is seen as a technology demonstrator to test the effectiveness of controlling a fighter jet without installing a conventional tail. Presented only through concept art, the result is an aircraft that combines the front and center of the original F-22, but with a "stretched" delta-wing main aircraft.

It was intended to retain the configuration of two side-by-side turbofans with thrust vectoring, but lacked the outwardly curved vertical and horizontal fins.

For now, the aircraft will be controlled solely by a thrust vectoring system combined with control surfaces on the wing main aircraft - hopefully the fighter will be extremely maneuverable, provide less drag and greater efficiency, and can accommodate Many, if not all, of its inherent stealth characteristics remain intact. The X-44 MANTA has long been seen as a possible candidate for a future fighter, so it would also be in line with the F-22's internal weapons bay.

Due to the nature of the delta wing and its large surface area and increased internal volume, the MANTA will carry more internal fuel than the F-22 and therefore have a greater range.

The X-44 MANTA remained a proposed "experiment" in its short life. Both the U.S. Air Force and NASA were interested in the product, but with little success, as the program appeared to be terminated sometime around 2000.

The X-44 name reappears in another Lockheed product, the "X-44A," a deep-body tailless unmanned aerial system used to develop more advanced UAVs for the company (including "sentinel").