Rockwell International
Rockwell-MBB X-31
The Rockwell‑MBB X‑31 was a joint United States‑Germany experimental fighter developed in the early 1990s by Rockwell International in partnership with Messerschmitt‑Bölkow‑Blohm. Conceived as a technology demonstrator, the X‑31 aimed to validate thrust‑vectoring control and advanced digital flight‑control systems that could enable super‑maneuverability beyond the limits of conventional aerodynamics. The aircraft combined a lightweight, mid‑wing configuration with a small leading‑edge canard, a flat‑bottomed delta wing, and a Rolls‑Royce/McDonnell Douglas F100 engine equipped with two 30‑degree pitch‑deflecting nozzles. Its fly‑by‑wire system allowed the pilot to command extreme pitch‑up, rapid rolls, and post‑stall maneuvers such as the “Herbst maneuver,” demonstrating controlled flight at angles of attack exceeding 70 degrees. First flown in 1990, the X‑31 logged more than 1,500 flight hours before the program concluded in 1995. Although never intended for production, the aircraft’s data proved vital for later fighters, influencing the development of thrust‑vectoring jets like the F‑22 Raptor and the Eurofighter Typhoon’s flight‑control architecture. The X‑31 remains a landmark in aerospace research, showcasing how integrated propulsion and control technologies can dramatically expand an aircraft’s performance envelope. The program also provided valuable data on pilot workload and ergonomics for high‑angle‑of‑attack flight, informing later cockpit designs.