In the 1990s, Lockheed Martin dreamed of a fighter aircraft that could be as stealthy
as possible without sacrificing maneuverability. The result was a
sleek airframe with a remarkable characteristic: it had no tail.
The Multi-Axis No-Tail Aircraft, or X-44 MANTA, was an outstanding concept that would allow thrust
vector control like no other aircraft before, but it proved to be too avant-garde for its time.
Nearly three decades later, echoes of the fantastic MANTA have consistently popped
up in official Air Force renderings as the service strives to create the Next Generation
Air Dominance fighter jet, leading experts and amateurs to wonder whether the shelved
project found its way into the making of the newest top-of-the-line fighter…
An Ambitious Design
At the dawn of the 21st century, Lockheed Martin planned to build an aircraft that
could leverage thrust vector control to provide the airframe with acrobatic capabilities needed
in high-end dogfights. The new design would skip using a conventional tail section with
vertical and horizontal control surfaces and instead opt to direct the engine's airflow.
Decades of rapid fighter development had led to a standard set of tactical fighter characteristics,
including a conventional tail. Even so, the F-22 adopted a slightly different tail than
other non-stealth 4th-generation fighters. The new development sought to pull off the
same maneuverability as the extremely capable Raptor, minus the need for the tail surfaces.
Based on the F-22, the resulting delta-shaped stealth fighter was called the X-44 Manta.
The name did not come from the sea creature but from the acronym Multi-Axis No-Tail Aircraft.
Other than the US Air Force, NASA also became interested in testing
the feasibility of full yaw, pitch, and roll authority without tailplanes.
With the year 2000 around the corner, an ambitious design was on point - one that
would solely rely on thrust vectoring for attitude control and flight path.
An official NASA document titled ‘American X-Vehicles: An Inventory X-1 to X-50’ stated:
(QUOTE) “Thrust vectoring—the ability to turn the jet exhaust—allows an aircraft to create
forces with its engines similar to the forces created by aerodynamic surfaces such as flaps,
rudders, and stabilators. The result would be a structurally simple, light airframe,
with increased fuel vol­ume and better ‘stealth’ characteristics
since there would be no movable aerodynamic control surfaces.”
If successful, the tailless layout would give an aircraft the ability
to change directions aggressively while overwhelming enemy fighters,
as the pilots would control the angle of thrust at will to use altitude to their benefit.
The Logical Option
Lacking a complete section, the aircraft would
obtain lower observability and a dramatically reduced radar return,
potentially becoming stealthier than even the highly capable Raptor it was based on.
Complete with the stretched delta wing,
the concept was designed to measure 62 feet long overall.
In addition, it would be powered by side-by-side Pratt & Whitney turbofan engines capable of 35,000
pounds of thrust, thus achieving speeds of up to 1,500 miles per hour and altitudes of 49,000 feet.
Beyond lower drag and better stealth capabilities, the design promised more efficiency and several
other advantages, including internal weapons bays with a full payload of Sidewinders, AMRAAMs,
smart bombs, and a 20-millimeter internal cannon, as well as more fuel capacity and extended range.
Ultimately, the thrust vector controls allowed to point the nose and weapons
at the enemy while the fighter’s flight path remained unchanged.
Pointing the nozzle of a jet engine would be a significant advantage during
a close-up encounter when two fighters tried to turn tighter and get their weapons locked.
The F-22 Raptor can actually aim the nozzle on a single plane or up and down, while other models
can do so in 360 degrees, providing a wider range of options to shift direction quickly.
As such, Lockheed Martin did not go for the newest strike fighter but
rather the most capable of engaging enemy jets.
Boasting vector control, the F-22 was the logical option to experiment with this capability,
and the Manta had all the characteristics Lockheed Martin needed as a technology demonstrator.
More Than An Advanced Fighter
The X-44’s manufacturer doesn’t currently showcase the aircraft in any official capacity,
maybe because it never truly materialized. But even though it never made it past the design
concept stage, many experts share military analyst Brent M. Eastwood’s take, in that:
(QUOTE) “Its short life influenced later stealth designs that may be
taken up by the U.S. (Next Generation Air Dominance) 6th-generation fighter.”
Amid the intense 5th-generation fighter race between the United States and its opponents,
6th-generation models are quickly rising to the spotlight. In truth, analyst Peter Suciu explained
that Next Generation Air Dominance: (QUOTE) “Will be far more than just a more advanced fighter –
and instead will be a ‘family of systems’ that would include autonomous capabilities, stealth,
a new spectrum of weapons, thermal management of the aircraft signature, and improved propulsion
with supercruise ability. Each of the programs is being developed with maximum connectivity,
advanced sensors, and open architecture while taking advantage of computer-aided design.”
Recently, the US Air Force made an announcement that surprised the world:
the service had already designed, built, and tested a prototype aircraft for the
Next Generation Air Dominance or NGAD program. Promising to be more advanced than past types,
the new jet is likely to also dominate modern foreign fighters for many decades.
Curiously, the Air Force simultaneously unveiled an image showcasing a wedge-shaped
aircraft with no tail. While many wondered whether the artist’s imagination might
have impacted the art piece, several other official images and renderings
from prominent aviation firms have all featured similar airframes. Therefore,
many experts believe the X-44 may have influenced the next American prizefighter, however slightly.
Strong Resemblance
As stated in the NGAD program, the X-44 MANTA was designed as a much more capable stealth fighter
than the F-22 Raptor. But taking into account that MANTA was born in 1999, it’s unlikely the X-44
would perform decently in the new era. Noticeably, the Chengdu J-20 and the Sukhoi Su-57 were also
developed in the 1990s and 2000s, and the new NGAD fighters will have to outmatch them all.
Unfortunately, dusting off an old concept and pushing it into production would not solve all the
Air Force’s issues, especially considering that the F-22 is out of production. In fact, restarting
the production line would be every bit as expensive as starting a new fighter from scratch.
However, the MANTA’s DNA will most likely find its way into the Air Force’s newest fighter,
as repeatedly proven by renderings and visual concepts. As many experts have pointed out,
the MANTA’s design showcases striking similarities to the tangible YF-23 fighter
developed by Northrop, but the design images bear a stronger resemblance to the NGAD idea.
Therefore, several analysts have pointed out that if an old stealth
fighter like Norhtorp’s is still in the fight, more advanced iterations of
Lockheed’s promising concept will more than likely have a role in the race.
Not for nothing, the idea of a non-conventional tail section
and wedge-shaped design keeps resurfacing after many decades. And in the near future,
it will likely be open knowledge that the US Air Force drew their inspiration directly from
Lockheed Martin’s X-44 MANTA or Northrop’s YF-23 Black Widow II for the next generation fighter.
Thank you for watching our video! If you enjoyed it, please subscribe to Dark Tech for many more
military developments of the 21st century, and share it with someone who might like it.
Also, don’t hesitate to check out the rest of our Dark Documentaries channels, where we delve into
the most impressive battles of modern history and the technology used in them. Stay tuned!