List of experimental aircraft

Argentina

• FMA I.Ae. 37 glider

  Australia

• GAF Pika – manned test craft for drone program

  Brazil

• Baumgartl PB-60 - towed experimental rotor kite

  Canada

• AEA Silver Dart 1909. First aircraft to fly in Canada
• Avro Canada Avrocar 1959. Ducted fan VTOL
• Birdman Project 102
• Canadair CL-52 - jet engine testbed
• Canadair CL-84 - tilt-wing VTOL
• de Havilland Canada C-8A Quiet Short-Haul Research Aircraft
• de Havilland Canada C-8A Air-Cushion Landing System
• de Havilland Canada C-8A Augmentor Wing
• Marsden Gemini - variable-geometry glider
• NRC tailless glider - tailless flying wing
• UTIAS Ornithopter No.1

  Czechoslovakia

• Praga XE-II - light single rotor helicopter

  France

• Aérocentre NC.130 1939. High-altitude flight
• Aérospatiale Ludion 1967. Thrust vectored rocket VTOL
• Arsenal-Delanne 10 - tandem wing
• Arsenal VG 70 - high speed research
• Arsenal O.101 - aerodynamic research
• Arsenal 2301/SFECMAS 2301 and SFECMAS 1301 - supersonic research glider
• Breguet-Dorand Gyroplane Laboratoire - experimental helicopter
• Breguet-Richet Gyroplane - helicopter
• - monoplane testbed
• Dassault Balzac V - VTOL testbed
• Dassault Mirage IIIV - VTOL testbed
• Dassault Milan - canard research
• Dassault Mirage G - variable geometry
• Dassault LOGIDUC - unmanned combat aerial vehicle development
• Dassault nEUROn – UCAV technology demonstrator
• Farman F.1010 - heavy cannon flight testing
• Farman F.1020 - semi-circular wing
• Fouga Gemeaux - engine testbed
• Gastambide-Levavasseur Variable Surface Aircraft - variable chord wing testbed
• Gérin Varivol - variable chord wing testbed
• Hanriot HD.28 – one example was tested a vee tail
• Hurel-Dubois HD.10 – very high aspect ratio wings
• Leduc 0.10 – ramjet
• Leduc 0.21 – ramjet
• Makhonine Mak-10 – variable span wing
• Nord 500 – VTOL tilt ducted fan research aircraft
• Nord 1402/1405 Gerfaut – delta wing research aircraft
• Nord 1500 Griffon - ramjet
• Nord 1601 – swept wing research aircraft
• Payen PA-22 - tandem delta/normal wings
• Payen Pa 49 - tandem delta/normal wings
• Potez-CAMS 160 - 5/13 scale six engine aerodynamic testbed for development of CAMS 161
• Robin X4 - materials and configuration testbed
• SNECMA Atar Volant - vertical lift jet
• SNECMA Coléoptère - vertical lift annular wing
• Sud Est SE-1210 scale aerodynamic testbed for SE-1200 transatlantic flying boat
• Sud-Ouest Ariel – tip jet rotor helicopter
• Sud-Ouest Farfadet - convertiplane
• Sud-Ouest Triton – first French jet aircraft

  Finland

• Adaridi AD 3

  Germany

• Akaflieg Berlin B 9 1943. Prone pilot
• Akaflieg Darmstadt/Akaflieg München DM1 1944. Delta wing
• Albatros L.81 - elektron metal structure testbed
• AVA AF 1 – augumented lift
• DFS 194 1940. Tailless rocket aircraft used in development of Me 163
• DFS 346 1948. Supersonic reconnaissance aircraft used for research
• Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet TransSonische Tragflügel - transonic supercritical wing research
• Dornier Do 29 – tilt rotor STOL
• Dornier Do 31 – VTOL transport
• EWR VJ 101 - experimental tiltjet VTOL fighter
• Fieseler Fi 158 - testbed for radio control system
• Flettner airplane – Magnus effect test vehicle
• Flettner Fl 185 - gyrodyne
• Focke-Wulf F 19 – multi-engined canard
• Focke-Wulf Fw 61 – first practical helicopter
• Fokker V.1 - structures and aerodynamics testbed
• Göppingen Gö 8 - development aircraft for Do 214
• Göppingen Gö 9 – pusher aerodynamic testbed for Dornier Do 335 development
• Gotha G.VI - asymmetric flying surfaces
• Gotha Go 147 – tailless research aircraft
• Heinkel He 119 – high-performance research aircraft
• Heinkel He 176 – rocket research aircraft
• Heinkel He 178 – jet engine research aircraft
• Horten H.III - flying wing
• Horten H.IV - flying wing
• Horten Ho VI - flying wing
• Junkers J 1 – pioneering all-metal cantilever monoplane
• Junkers EF 61 – pressurization
• Junkers Ju 49 – high-altitude test aircraft
• Lippisch Delta IV – delta wing
• Lippisch Ente – rocket-powered canard
• Lippisch P.13a - delta wing and use of coal
• Messerschmitt Me P.1101 - variable geometry jet
• Opel RAK.1 – rocket propulsion
• RFB X-113 – wing in ground effect vehicle
• RFB X-114 – wing in ground effect vehicle
• Sack AS-6 – disk wing
• Schmeidler SN.2 - wing flaps
• VFW VAK 191B – VTOL fighter
• Zeppelin-Lindau V1 - all-metal stressed skin construction

  Italy

• Ambrosini Sagittario 1953. Swept wing research aircraft
• Bossi-Bonomi Pedaliante 1936. Human-powered aircraft
• Caproni Campini N.1 1940. Jet engine research
• Jona J-6 - tilting wing stabilisation system
• Lualdi-Tassotti ES 53 - gyro stabilized helicopter
• Piaggio P.111 – high-altitude research
• S.C.A. SS.2 – experimental canard
• S.C.A. SS.3 Anitra – experimental canard
• Stipa-Caproni – ducted prop research

  Poland

• Flugtechnische Fertigungsgemeinschaft Prag FGP 227 – scale proof of concept for German BV 238
• Lala-1 - jet biplane testbed for PZL M-15 Belphegor

  Japan

• Gasuden Koken 1937. Long range experimental aircraft
• Honda MH02 1993. Over wing engines, forward swept wing
• Kawasaki Ki-78 1942. High speed research aircraft
• Kayaba Ku-2 1940. Tailless glider
• Kayaba Ku-3 - tailless glider
• Kayaba Ku-4 - tailless research aircraft
• Kimura HK-1 - tailless glider
• Mitsubishi RP-1 - experimental helicopter
• MXY-6 – canard scale testbed for Kyushu J7W
• Shin Meiwa UF-XS – proof of concept demonstrator for Shin Meiwa US-1A

  Russia/Soviet Union

• Alexeyev Ekranoplans
• Antonov A-40 1942. Tank glider
• Antonov 181 Tested late 1980s. Never flew. Blown channel wing demonstrator
• Bartini Beriev VVA-14 1972. Ekranoplan, i.e. ground effect vehicle
• Bartini Stal-6 – high speed aircraft
• Chyeranovskii BICh-3 – tailless delta research aircraft
• Chyeranovskii BICh-11 – flying wing to test wingtip rudders
• Chyeranovskii BICh-16 – human-powered ornithopter
• Chyeranovskii BICh-18 – human-powered ornithopter
• Chizhevski BOK-1 – high-altitude research aircraft
• Chizhevski BOK-5 – tailless research aircraft
• Grigorovich I-Z – recoilless cannon evaluation
• Grushin Octyabrenok – tandem wing
• Ilyushin Il-76LL - engine testbeds
• Kozlov PS – invisible aircraft
• MAI EMAI – magnesium construction
• Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-8 Utka – pusher canard proof of concept
• Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-105 – lifting body
• Mikoyan Project 1.44 – technology demonstrator
• Mikoyan-Gurevich N – mixed propulsion system

• Moskalyev SAM-9 Strela – delta wing
• NIAI RK – telescopic wings
• NIAI RK-I – telescopic wings
• Nikitin PSN-2 – glider bombers
• Nikitin-Shevchenko IS – biplane/monoplane hybrid
• Sukhanov Diskoplan – disk wings
• Sukhoi T-4
• Sukhoi T-10 – technology demonstrator
• Sukhoi T-58VD – VTOL research aircraft
• Sukhoi Su-47
• Thermoplan – heavy lift lenticular-shaped hybrid airship technology demonstrator
• Tsybin LL – forward swept wing
• Tsybin NM-1 – proof of concept
• Tupolev ANT-20
• Tupolev Tu-95LAL – nuclear-powered aircraft
• Ushakov flying submarines
• Yakovlev Yak-36 – VTOL technology demonstrator
• Yakovlev Yak-42LL - engine testbed for the Progress D-236 propfan
• Yakovlev Yak-1000 – supersonic technology demonstrator
• Zveno project – parasite fighters

  Spain

• Cierva C.4 1923. First autogyro to fly
• Cierva C.6 1924. Autogyro based on Avro 504 fuselage. Used small wings with ailerons for roll control

  Sweden

• Saab 202 aerodynamic testbed for Saab 32 Lansen
• Saab 210 1952. Aerodynamic testbed for double delta concept for Saab 35 Draken

  Switzerland

• Solar Impulse Project

  Taiwan

• Chu Hummingbird - experimental helicopter

  United Kingdom

• Armstrong Whitworth Ape 1926. Variable configuration aerodynamic test vehicle
• Armstrong Whitworth A.W.52 1947. Jet powered flying wing
• Avro 707 1949. Aerodynamic proof of concept for Avro Vulcan delta wing bomber
• Avro Ashton – jet engine research vehicle based on Avro Tudor
• BAC 221 – modified Fairey Delta 2 for high speed delta research
• Baynes Bat - experimental tailless glider
• Blackburn B-20 - retractable hull seaplane
• Boulton Paul P.6 – used for wing research
• Boulton Paul P.92 – half-scale proof of concept
• Boulton Paul P.111 - delta-wing research aircraft
• Boulton Paul P.120 - delta-wing research aircraft
• Bristol 138 – high-altitude research aircraft
• Bristol 188 - high speed flight research
• British Aerospace EAP – technology demonstrator
• Cierva W.9 – experimental helicopter with anti-torque jet efflux
• de Havilland DH 108 Swallow – swept wing tailless transsonic research aircraft
• English Electric P.1A - supersonic research aircraft
• modified Fairey Battle engine testbed for Rolls-Royce Exe, Fairey Prince and Napier Dagger.
• Fairey Delta 1 - delta-wing research aircraft
• Fairey Delta 2 - delta-wing research aircraft
• Fairey Jet Gyrodyne – jet-powered rotor
• Folland Fo.108 – engine test bed
• General Aircraft GAL.56 - tailless swept wing glider
• Gloster E.28/39 – early jet engine research
• Gloster Meteor F8 "Prone Pilot" – prone position flight control research
• Gloster Trent Meteor - turboprop propulsion
• Hafner A.R.III Gyroplane – experimental autogyro
• Handley Page H.P.17 – aerodynamic slot research
• Handley Page H.P.20 – aerodynamic slot research
• Handley Page H.P.75 Manx – tailless flight research
• Handley Page HP.88 – supporting development of Handley Page Victor
• Handley Page HP.115 – low speed delta-wing research
• Hawker P.1052 - swept wing testbed that led to the Hawker Hunter
• Hawker P.1072 - testbed for Armstrong Siddeley Snarler rocket booster
• Hawker P.1127 – experimental V/STOL combat aircraft development aircraft that led to the Hawker Harrier
• Hillson Bi-mono – slip-wing research
• Hunting H.126 – blown flap research
• Miles M.3E Gillette Falcon – high speed flight research
• Miles M.30 – blended wing body design
• Miles M.35 Libellula – tandem-wing fighter testbed
• Miles M.39B Libellula – tandem-wing research
• Miles M.52 – supersonic flight research
• Parnall Parasol - wing pressure and aileron testing
• Parnall Peto - experimental submarine-launched aircraft.
• Parnall Prawn - flying boat testing buried engine with variable-angle thrust line
• Reid and Sigrist R.S.4 Bobsleigh - prone-pilot research
• Rolls-Royce Thrust Measuring Rig – low speed VTOL control test rig
• Saro Shrimp - experimental half-scale flying boat for development of cancelled Saunders-Roe S.38
• Saunders-Roe SR.53 - mixed rocket/jet propulsion development aircraft for cancelled Saunders-Roe SR.177
• Short Cockle – tested metal construction techniques for flying boat hulls
• Short Mayo Composite – tested piggyback aircraft concept
• Short Mussel – testing metal construction techniques for aircraft floats
• Short S.6 Sturgeon – tested aluminium construction techniques for aircraft
• Short S.31 - half-scale model for Short Stirling development
• Short SB.1 – tailless glider for isoclinic wing research
• Short SB.4 Sherpa - improved, powered version of Short SB.1
• Short SB.5 – prove/develop wing for English Electric Lightning
• Short SC.1 – VTOL research
• Short Silver Streak - stressed skin construction, developed into Short Springbok
• Supermarine 508 – development aircraft with vee tail
• Supermarine 525 - swept wing development aircraft for Supermarine Scimitar program
• Vickers Type 618 Nene-Viking – jet engine testbed
• Vickers Type 470 and Type 486 Wellington – Whittle jet engine testbeds
• Vickers Type 602 Wellington Mark X – Rolls-Royce Dart turboprop testbed
• Westland-Hill Pterodactyl - series of tailless monoplanes
• Youngman-Baynes High Lift - testbed for Youngman flaps

  United States

X-planes

• Bell X-1 sound barrier
• Bell X-2 Mach 2–3 supersonic flight
• Douglas X-3 Stiletto sustained supersonic flight
• Northrop X-4 Bantam tailless aircraft
• Bell X-5 variable-sweep wing
• Convair X-6 nuclear reactor test aircraft
• Lockheed X-7 "flying stove pipe" unmanned ramjet and guidance test missile
• Aerojet General X-8 sounding rocket
• Bell X-9 Shrike guided missile
• North American X-10 unmanned missile technology demonstrator
• Convair X-11 single engine missile testbed for Atlas
• Convair X-12 three engine missile testbed for Atlas
• Ryan X-13 Vertijet tail sitter VTOL jet
• Bell X-14 thrust vectoring VTOL jet
• North American X-15 hypersonic rocket-powered research aircraft
• Lockheed X-17 research rocket testing high mach re-entry
• Hiller X-18 tiltwing STOVL cargo aircraft
• Curtiss-Wright X-19 VTOL tiltrotor
• X-20 Dyna-Soar spaceplane program
• Northrop X-21 laminar flow wing
• Bell X-22 ducted fan V/STOL
• Martin Marietta X-23 Prime lifting body reentry
• Martin-Marietta X-24 lifting body test aircraft
• Bensen X-25 single-seat autogyro
• Schweizer X-26 Frigate sailplane
• Lockheed X-27 Lancer proposed high-performance technology demonstrator based on Lockheed CL-1200
• Pereira X-28A Sea Skimmer single-seat flying boat evaluated by US Navy
• Grumman X-29 forward-swept wing test aircraft
• Rockwell X-30 single-stage-to-orbit spacecraft
• Rockwell-MBB X-31 extreme angle of attack test aircraft
• Boeing X-32 Joint Strike Fighter Program entry
• Lockheed Martin X-33 unmanned scale demonstrator for VentureStar single stage to orbit spacecraft
• Orbital Sciences X-34 reusable launch vehicle testbed
• Lockheed Martin X-35 Joint Strike Fighter Program entry winner; became F-35 Lightning II
• McDonnell Douglas X-36 tailless fighter research agility aircraft
• Boeing X-37 reusable unmanned spacecraft
• NASA X-38 crew return vehicle for International Space Station
• X-39 reserved for USAF/DARPA program use
• Boeing X-40 Space Maneuver Vehicle testbed X-37 guidance and flight characteristics
• X-41 Common Aero Vehicle classified DARPA/NASA maneuvering re-entry vehicle
• X-42 Pop-Up Upper Stage classified rocket upper stage
• NASA X-43 Hyper-X hypersonic scramjet
• Lockheed Martin X-44 MANTA multi-axis tailless aircraft concept
• Boeing X-45 unmanned combat air vehicle
• Boeing X-46 unmanned combat air vehicle
• Northrop Grumman X-47 Pegasus unmanned combat air vehicle
• Boeing X-48 blended wing aircraft
• Piasecki X-49 compound helicopter technology demonstrator
• Boeing X-50 Dragonfly gyrodyne unmanned aerial vehicle
• Boeing X-51 Mach 5+ scramjet missile demonstrator
• X-53 Active Aeroelastic Wing wing warping flight demonstrator
• Gulfstream X-54 supersonic boom intensity research and demonstration aircraft
• Lockheed Martin X-55 advanced composites technology demonstrator
• Lockheed Martin X-56 flutter suppression and gust load testing unmanned testbed

  Other US experimental aircraft

• Acme Sierra 1959. Pusher configuration
• AstroFlight Sunrise 1974. Solar powered drone
• Ball-Bartoe Jetwing 1977. Blown wing research
• Bell D-292 1985. Advanced Composite Airframe Program
• Bell L-39 1976. Swept wing research
• Bell Model 65 1954. Tiltjet VTOL
• Bell XV-15 1977. Tiltrotor VTOL and precursor to V-22 Osprey
• Bell 533 1962. Modified UH-1B helicopter for US Army experiments with high speed technology
• Boeing ecoDemonstrator 2012. Three aircraft testing airliner fuel efficiency and noise reduction technologies
• Budd BB-1 Pioneer 1931. Stainless steel construction
• Burnelli RB-1 1921. Lifting body proof of concept vehicle
• Chrysler VZ-6 1959. Ducted fan
• Convair NB-36 1955. Nuclear propelled aircraft testbed
• Curtiss-Wright VZ-7 1958. Quadcopter
• Curtiss-Wright X-100 1963. Tilt rotor VTOL
• Custer Channel Wings 1953. Blown half-barrel wings
• Doak VZ-4 1958. Tilt-fan VTOL
• Douglas D-558-I Skystreak 1947. Supersonic research
• Douglas D-558-II Skyrocket 1948. Supersonic research
• Fairchild VZ-5 1959. Deflected air VTOL
• Farrar LSG-1 Bird Flight Machine 1969. Glider to research bird flight
• Gee Bee Model Q 1931. Canard layout
• General Dynamics F-16XL 1982. Relaxed stability delta wing, boundary layer suction laminar flow
• General Dynamics F-16 VISTA 1992. Variable stability, thrust vectoring
• General Electric GE36 testbed. 1986. Propfan engine testbed on a modified Boeing 727
• Gossamer Albatross 1979. Human-powered flight
• Gossamer Condor 1977. Human-powered flight
• modified Grumman Gulfstream II - engine testbed for the NASA Propfan Test Assessment
• Hiller VZ-1 Pawnee 1955. Direct lift rotor platform
• Hypersonic Technology Vehicle 2 2010. Hypersonic glider
• Johns Multiplane 1919. Seven wing heavy aircraft
• Kaman K-125 1947. Intermesh twin rotor helicopter, servo-flap control
• Kaman K-16 Never flew. Last tested in 1962. Modified Grumman Goose for tiltwing V/STOL research
• Lockheed Altair 1938. Twinned engine testbed
• NASA Dryden Lockheed C-140 Jetstar 1964. Electronic variable stability, propfan engine and laminar flow wing testbed
• Lockheed Have Blue – Stealth technology demonstrator
• Lockheed Vega Winnie Mae – high-altitude research – confirmed existence of jet stream
• Lockheed QT-2 – Quiet Thruster noise suppression experiments
• Lockheed XC-35 – pressurized cabin development
• Lockheed XV-4 Hummingbird – jetlift VTOL
• LTV XC-142 – VTOL transport
• Martin 162A Tadpole Clipper – proof of concept aircraft
• Martin XB-26H Marauder – tandem undercarriage
• McDonnell Douglas MD-81 UHB - General Electric GE36 and PW-Allison 578-DX propfan engine testbed
• NASA AD-1 Oblique Wing
• NASA Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology experimental aircraft
• NASA Hyper III
• NASA M2-F1 - lifting body/re-entry vehicle
• NASA Pathfinder - solar-powered aircraft
• Northrop F-5 Shaped Sonic Boom Demonstrator – shockwave reduction
• Northrop HL-10 – lifting body/re-entry vehicle research
• Northrop M2-F2 – lifting body/re-entry vehicle research
• Northrop M2-F3 – lifting body/re-entry vehicle research
• Northrop N-1M – flying wing research
• Northrop N-9M – flying wing proof of concept aircraft for Northrop YB-35
• Northrop Tacit Blue – Stealth technology demonstrator
• Piasecki PV-2 – helicopter technology demonstrator
• Piasecki VZ-8 Airgeep – liftfan VTOL research
• Republic XF-84H "Thunderscreech" – supersonic propellor
• Republic XF-91 Thunderceptor – inversely tapered swept wing
• Rockwell HiMAT - Maneuverability and control research
• Rockwell XFV-12 Tethered tested in 1978, but never flew. Augmented wing, vectored thrust VTOL
• Rotary Rocket Roton 1999. Single stage to orbit helicopter rocket
• Ryan VZ-3 Vertiplane 1958. Blown flap VTOL research
• Ryan XV-5 Vertifan 1964. Fan lift VTOL research
• Sawyer Skyjacker II – Low aspect ratio research aircraft
• Scaled Composites Proteus 1998. Telecommunication relay testbed
• Schweizer SGS 1-29 1958. Laminar flow research on wings made of metal
• Sikorsky S-69 1981. Compound co-axial research
• Sikorsky S-72 1976. Helicopter/aircraft hybrid research
• Sikorsky S-75 1984. Advanced Composite Aircraft Program
• Sikorsky S-76 SHADOW 1985 Sikorsky Helicopter Advanced Demonstrator and Operator Workload
• Stinson L-1 Vigilant – 1 example modified for boundary layer experiments
• Travel Air 2000 Besler steam aircraft
• Vertol VZ-2 – tilt wing VTOL research
• Vought V-173 "Flying Pancake" – disk wing research for Vought XF5U
• Vought V-326 – high-altitude test aircraft
• Vought-Sikorsky VS-300 – helicopter