You’ve seen it on display, now take a closer look at one of the most distinctive experimental aircraft in our collection! The Boeing X-32 was developed as a Concept Demonstrator Aircraft for the Joint Strike Fighter competition that began in 1996. Boeing built two demonstrators, the X-32A and X-32B, to evaluate capabilities including conventional takeoffs and landings, carrier operations, and short takeoffs and vertical landings. First flown in September 2000, the X-32 completed 66 flights during four months of testing, demonstrating capabilities that included aerial refueling, weapons bay operations and supersonic flight. Ultimately, the competing X-35 design was selected and further developed into the F-35 Lightning II, but the X-32 remains an important part of the story of 21st-century fighter development. The X-32A arrived at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in 2005 and, following restoration, was placed on display in May 2024.
