X - 53

X-53
F/A-18 configured by NASA as the X-53
Role
National origin	United States
Manufacturer	McDonnell Douglas Northrop
Primary user	NASA
Developed from	F/A-18 Hornet

The X-53 Active Aeroelastic Wing (AAW) development program is a completed research project that was undertaken jointly by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Boeing Phantom Works and NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, where the technology was flight tested on a modified F/A-18 Hornet. The program was led by a cadre of people from these organizations including Edmund W. Pendleton and Dr Ken Griffin from the Air Force, Denis Bessette and Dave Voracek from NASA Dryden, and Pete Field, Dr Jim Guffey, and Eric Reichenbach from Boeing St Louis. Gerry Miller of North American Aviation (later part of Boeing) and Jan Tulinius led the development of the initial concept during wind tunnel testing in the mid 1980s under Air Force contract.^[1] The designation "X-52" was skipped in sequence to avoid confusion with the B-52 bomber.