Two X-5s were built (serial numbers 50-1838 and 50-1839). The first was completed 15 February 1951, and the two aircraft made their first flights on 20 June and 10 December 1951. Almost 200 flights were made at speeds up to Mach 0.9 and altitudes of 40,000 ft (12,000 m).

The X-planes are a series of experimental United States aircraft and rockets, used to test and evaluate new technologies and aerodynamic concepts. They have an X designator within the US system of aircraft designations, which denotes the experimental research mission.

Feb 28, 2014 · Although the NACA conducted independent wind tunnel research on variable sweep wings in 1945, the X-5 originated with the Messerschmitt P.1101 experimental aircraft. This was a small jet with wings that could be adjusted on the ground to three fixed angles between 35 and 45 degrees.

DAYTON, Ohio -- Bell X-5 at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. (U.S. Air Force photo) The X-5 was the world's first high-performance airplane to vary the sweepback of its wings in flight. It investigated the characteristics of variable sweep aircraft in flight and the feasibility of producing aircraft with this feature.

Jan 18, 2016 · Demonstrating wing sweep from 20 to 60 degrees, the aircraft verified NACA wind-tunnel predictions of reduced drag and improved performance resulting from increased wing sweep as it approached Mach 1. Even vicious spinning characteristics of the X-5 yielded a wealth of data for determining poor aircraft spin design. Fact Sheet | Photos.

Aug 14, 2021 · After extensive examination of the Messerschmitt design, engineers Bell developed the X-5. The X-5 was quite a bit more technically complex thanks to its variable-sweep wings, which were...

Feb 6, 2002 · In spite of the problems with the aircraft, the X-5 provided a significant full-scale verification of NACA wind-tunnel predictions for reduced drag and improved performance that resulted from this configuration’s increasing the wing sweep as the speed of the aircraft approached the speed of sound.

Built and initially flight tested by Bell Aircraft Corporation, the first X-5 flight was on June 20, 1951. The X-5 was the first aircraft capable of variably sweeping its wings in flight and helped our understanding of wing-sweep angles of 20, 45, and 60 degrees at subsonic and transonic speeds.

May 5, 2024 · Introduced in the early 1950s, the Bell X-5 was instrumental in exploring the aerodynamic implications of variable-sweep wing designs. The primary aim was to assess how different wing configurations affected performance during various phases of flight, such as takeoff, cruise, and landing. The X-5 had a range of sweep from 20 degrees to 60 degrees.

Mar 12, 2019 · The X-5 was an experimental single-seat, single-engine, jet-powered fighter design prototype produced by the Bell Aircraft company and became the first aircraft to make use of in-flight variable geometry wings. Its roots originated in the German Messerschmitt Me P.1101 of which the X-5 borrowed heavily from in terms of overall design.