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Forget the X-Wing From Star Wars, Here is the Real Deal
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Forget the X-Wing From Star Wars, Here is the Real Deal

Designed to combine the hovering capabilities of a helicopter with the speed of fixed-wing aircraft, read all about the concept aircraft Sikorsky X-Wing.

Science & Tech

Back in the 1970s and 1980s, a joint research program between NASA, DARPA, the US Navy, and Sikorsky would spawn one of the most interesting and unique aircraft designs of all time. Called the Sikorsky X-Wing, this aircraft was designed to combine the best of what both helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft had to offer.

Five years of research and development, and many successful tests and technical innovations, would ultimately see the program canceled just before the finishing line. A hybrid of the helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft, yet something of its own class, the aircraft would never take to air.

What was the Sikorsky X-Wing?

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The Sikorsky X-Wing was a concept aircraft that was designed to combine the hovering capabilities of a helicopter with the speed of fixed-wing aircraft.

Based on the S-72 RSRA (Rotor Systems Research Aircraft), it was developed through a collaboration with the U.S. Navy, DARPA, NASA, and Sikorsky.