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The X-planes are a series of experimental United States aircraft (and some rockets) used for testing of new technologies and usually kept highly secret while the work is underway.

The first of these, the Bell X-1, became well-known as the first plane to break the sound barrier, which it did in 1947. Later X-planes yielded important research results, but only the North American X-15 rocket plane of the early 1960s achieved comparable fame. X-planes 7 through 12 were actually missiles, and some other vehicles were unpiloted. Most X-planes are not expected to ever go into full-scale production, and usually only a few are produced. One exception is the Lockheed Martin X-35, which competed against the Boeing X-32 to become the Joint Strike Fighter.

X-plane projects are still underway as of 2004.

• Bell X-1 - rocket plane
• Bell X-2 - swept wing
• Douglas X-3 StilettoThe Douglas X-3 Stiletto was an experimental jet aircraft with a slender fuselage and a long tapered nose, manufactured by the Douglas Aircraft Company. Its primary mission was to investigate the design features of an aircraft suitable for sustained super
• Northrop X-4 BantamThe Northrop X-4 Bantam was a small twin-jet airplane that had no horizontal tail surfaces, depending instead on combined elevator and aileron control surfaces (called elevons) for control in pitch and roll attitudes. The hope of some aerodynamicists was - swept wing, semi-tailless
• Bell X-5The Bell X-5 was the first aircraft capable of changing the sweep of its wings in flight. It was inspired by the untested war-time P. 1101 design of the German Messerschmitt company. However, whereas the German design could only be adjusted on the ground, - in-flight wing sweeping
• Convair X-6The Convair X-6 was a proposed experimental aircraft that never left the drawing board. It was to have been built to investigate the practicality of powering a large aircraft (for example, a strategic bomber) with a nuclear reactor. To provide a testbed f - nuclear-powered
• Lockheed X-7The Lockheed X-7 (dubbed the "Flying Stove Pipe") was an unmanned test bed for ramjet engines and missile guidance technology. It was carried aloft by a B-29 or B-50 Superfortress carrier aircraft. The booster ignited after launch and propelled the vehicl - ramjet missile
• Aerojet General X-8The Aerojet General X-8 was an unguided, spin-stabilzed sounding rocket designed to launch a 150-pound payload to 200,000 feet. The X-7 was later spun-off into the prolific Aerobee rocket. Over 900 Aerobees have been constructed, and have gathered data on
• Bell X-9 ShrikeThe Bell X-9 Shrike was a prototype ground-to-air, liquid-fueled guided missile that was a testbed for the nuclear-armed GAM-63 Rascal. 31 X-9 rockets were delivered, flying from April 1949 to January 1953. The program was used to gather aerodynamic and s
• North American X-10The North American X-10 much like the X-9 Shrike, was an unmanned technology demonstrator for advanced missile technologies. North American's development of long-range surface-to-surface missiles eventually led to the RTA-A-5 redesignated as the X-10 in 1
• Convair X-11
• Convair X-12
• Ryan X-13 Vertijet
• Bell X-14
• North American X-15
• Bell X-16
• Lockheed X-17
• Hiller X-18
• Curtiss-Wright X-19
• Boeing X-20 Dyna-Soar
• Northrop X-21
• Bell X-22
• Martin-Marietta X-23
• Martin-Marietta X-24
• Bensen X-25
• Schweizer X-26 Frigate
• Lockheed X-27
• Pereira X-28 Sea Skimmer
• Grumman X-29
• Rockwell X-30
• Rockwell-MBB X-31
• Boeing X-32
• Lockheed Martin X-33
• Orbital Sciences X-34
• Lockheed Martin X-35
• McDonnell Douglas X-36
• Boeing X-37 - Future-X
• X-38
• X-39 - unused designation reserved for Future Aircraft Technology Enhancements programme
• Boeing X-40
• X-41 - classified programme - re-entry vehicle.
• X-42 - classified programme - rocket stage
• Boeing X-43
• Lockheed Martin X-44 MANTA
• Boeing X-45 UCAV
• Boeing X-46
• Northrop Grumman X-47 Pegasus - UCAV
• Boeing X-48 - blended wing body
• Sikorsky Piasecki X-49
• Boeing X-50 - canard rotor/wing