The McDonnell Douglas X-36 Tailless Fighter Agility Research Aircraft was built in the late '90s in collaboration with NASA with the objective to reduce weight and drag while increasing range, maneuverability, and, most importantly, survivability.

To achieve all these goals, they decided to get rid of the traditional empennage found on most aircraft, a feat that many contractors and government organizations had tried for decades.

But that wasn't its only impressive asset.

The aircraft had a remotely-piloted design through which it was flown by a pilot sitting safely on a chair in a ground-based virtual cockpit with a camera mounted on the plane to provide the view.

The unique configuration, which also gave it a one-of-a-kind futuristic look, helped the program move along in a short window of time and be ready in less than two years.

Its future now rested on either NASA or McDonnell Douglas, which were both impressed with the invaluable, yet niche, knowledge it provided during its testing phases...


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Join Dark Skies as we explore the world of aviation with cinematic short documentaries featuring the biggest and fastest airplanes ever built, top-secret military projects, and classified missions with hidden untold true stories. Including US, German, and Soviet warplanes, along with aircraft developments that took place during World War I, World War 2, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, the Gulf War, and special operations mission in between.

As images and footage of actual events are not always available, Dark Skies sometimes utilizes similar historical images and footage for dramatic effect and soundtracks for emotional impact. We do our best to keep it as visually accurate as possible.

All content on Dark Skies is researched, produced, and presented in historical context for educational purposes. We are history enthusiasts and are not always experts in some areas, so please don't hesitate to reach out to us with corrections, additional information, or new ideas.