Lockheed X-7

X-7

Role	Experimental aircraft
Manufacturer	Lockheed Corporation
First flight	April 26, 1951
Retired	1960
Primary user	United States Air Force
Developed into	AQM-60 Kingfisher

The Lockheed X-7 (dubbed the "Flying Stove Pipe") was an American unmanned test bed of the 1950s for ramjet engines and missile guidance technology. It was the basis for the later Lockheed AQM-60 Kingfisher, a system used to test American air defenses against nuclear missile attack.

The aircraft is one of the lesser known designs by Kelly Johnson, who went on to become the creator of the SR-71 family of aircraft.^[1]

Design and development

X-7 being dropped

The X-7 was carried aloft by a B-29 or B-50 Superfortress carrier aircraft. A booster ignited after launch and propelled the vehicle to a speed of 1,000 mph (1,625 km/h). The booster was then jettisoned, and the underslung ramjet took over from that point. The X-7 eventually returned to Earth, its descent slowed by parachute. A maximum speed of 2,881 mph (4640 km/h / Mach 4.31) was attained, setting a record for fastest air-breathing aircraft at the time. A total of 130 X-7 flights were conducted from April 1951 to July 1960.

The X-7 was unique in that it was constructed of steel, as opposed to the titanium used on later ramjets such as the more well known SR-71, and its predecessors, the A-12 and YF-12. The X-2 test aircraft preceded the X-7 by having Stainless steel wings, but its fuselage was composed of Nickel alloy. Steel was not widely used in aircraft until the later Mig-25 Foxbat.^[2]^[3]

The X-7 was also used to test HEF-2 and Hi Cal-3 zip fuel, which has a superior heating value of 26,500 Btu/lb. compared to hydrocarbon fuel with 18,400 Btu/lb.^[4]

Specifications (X-7A-1)

General characteristics

Crew: None
Length: 32 ft 9 in (9.98 m)
Wingspan: 12 ft (3.66 m)
Height: 7 ft (2.1 m)
Loaded weight: 8,000 lb (3,600 kg)
Powerplant:
- 1 × Alleghany Ballistics Laboratories X202-C3 solid-fuel rocket, 105,000 lbf (467 kN)
- 1 × various Marquardt MA20 ramjets under test, ()

Performance

Maximum speed: Mach 4.31 (2,881 mph, 4,640 km/h)
Service ceiling: 106,000 ft (32,317 m)

References

↑ http://www.nationalaviation.org/johnson-clarence-leonard/
↑ Facing the Heat Barrier: A History of Hypersonics, T. A. Heppenheimer, P.65
↑ http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/russia/mig-25.htm
↑ "A-11 General VI-1" (PDF). CIA. January 1968.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lockheed X-7.

Q-5/AQM-60
"Ramjet test missile takes off on supersonic flight." Popular Science, pp. 142–143.

Lockheed and Lockheed Martin aircraft

Airliners and civil transports	Vega Model 8 Sirius Altair Model 9 Orion Model 10 Electra Model 12 Electra Junior Model 14 Super Electra Model 18 Lodestar Constellation L-049 L-649 L-749 L-1049 Super Constellation L-1249 Super Constellation L-1649 Starliner Saturn L-188 Electra L-402 JetStar L-100 Hercules L-1011 TriStar

Military transports	C-69 Constellation C-121 Constellation C-130 Hercules C-130J Super Hercules HC-130 KC-130 LC-130 MC-130 C-141 Starlifter C-5 Galaxy R6V Constitution Tristar (RAF)

Attack and bombers	YP-24 Hudson XB-30 Ventura AC-130 A-4AR Fightinghawk F-117 Nighthawk Have Blue FB-22

Drones/UAVs	AQM-60 Kingfisher D-21 Desert Hawk Desert Hawk III MQM-105 Aquila Polecat RQ-3 Darkstar RQ-170 Sentinel DC-130

EW and reconnaissance	YO-3 EC-121 Warning Star EC-130 EC-130H Compass Call WC-130 EP-3 U-2 TR-X A-12 SR-71 Blackbird SR-72

Fighters	XFM-2 YP-24 P-38 Lightning XP-49 XP-58 Chain Lightning P-80 Shooting Star XF-90 F-94 Starfire F-104 Starfighter variants YF-12 F-16 Fighting Falcon F-22 Raptor YF-22 F-35 Lightning II

Helicopters	CL-475 XH-51 AH-56 Cheyenne VH-71 Kestrel

Maritime patrol	P-2 Neptune P-3 Orion P-7 S-3 Viking CP-140 Aurora

Trainers	T-33 T2V SeaStar

Experimental	L-133 NF-104A Senior Peg Senior Prom XC-35 XF-104 XV-4 Hummingbird X-7 X-17 X-26B Frigate CL-1200 Lancer X-33 X-35 X-44 X-55 X-56 XFV QueSST

Other	Air Express Big Dipper Model 44 Excalibur Explorer Little Dipper

USAF / Joint Service experimental aircraft (X-plane) designations since 1941

1–25	X-1 X-2 X-3 X-4 X-5 X-6 X-7 X-8 X-9 X-10 X-11 X-12 X-13 X-14 X-15 X-16 X-17 X-18 X-19 X-20 X-21 X-22 X-23 X-24A / B X-25

26–50	X-26 X-27 X-28 X-29 X-30 X-31 X-32 X-33 X-34 X-35 X-36 X-37 X-38 X-39 X-40 X-41 X-42 X-43 X-44 X-45 X-46 X-47A / B / C X-48 X-49 X-50

50–	X-51 X-52¹ X-53 X-54 X-55 X-56

See also	D-558-1 D-558-2 M2-F1 M2-F2 M2-F3 HL-10 AD-1

¹ Not assigned.

1947–1951 United States Air Force rocket and missile designations

Air-launched

Air-to-air	AAM-A-1 AAM-A-2

Air-to-surface	ASM-A-1 ASM-A-2

Ground-launched

Surface-to-air	SAM-A-1

Surface-to-surface	SSM-A-1 SSM-A-2 SSM-A-3 SSM-A-4 SSM-A-5 SSM-A-6

Test vehicles

Launch test	LTV-A-1

Propulsion test	PTV-A-1

Rocket test	RTV-A-1 RTV-A-2 RTV-A-3 RTV-A-4 RTV-A-5

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Lockheed X-7

Design and development

Specifications (X-7A-1)

See also

References

External links