Flying Beyond the Stall: The X-31 and the Advent of Supermaneuverability

The X-31 was unique in the world of experimental or X-airplanes. It was the only X-plane that was designed, manufactured, and flight tested as an international effort; a joint effort of the United States and Germany. It also was the only X-plane that supported two separate test programs, one run largely by NASA and the other by the U. S. Navy that were conducted years apart with the aircraft in storage between them. The X-31 was the only X-plane to perform at the Paris Air Show.