Boeing X-50 Dragonfly
| X-50 Dragonfly | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Type | Experimental UAV rotorcraft |
| Manufacturer | Boeing |
| Status | Canceled |
| Primary user | DARPA |
| Number built | 2 |
| History | |
| First flight | 24 November 2003 |
The Boeing X-50A Dragonfly, formerly known as the Canard Rotor/Wing Demonstrator, was a VTOL rotor wing experimental unmanned aerial vehicle that was developed by Boeing and DARPA to demonstrate the principle that a helicopter's rotor could be stopped in flight and act as a fixed wing, enabling it to transition between fixed-wing and rotary-wing flight.
The X-50A built upon the work of the Sikorsky S-72 X-Wing program of the 1980s by designing the vehicle as a multi-mode aircraft from the ground up. The X-50A was one of two projects funded by DARPA in its "Heliplane" program.
Neither of the two prototype aircraft ever successfully transitioned to full forward flight. DARPA withdrew funding for the X-50 program in late 2006 due to inherent design flaws.