Rockwell HiMAT
Experimental remotely piloted aircraft for advanced fighter technology.
The Rockwell RPRV-870 HiMAT (Highly Maneuverable Aircraft Technology) was an experimental, remotely piloted aircraft built for a NASA program aimed at developing technologies for future fighters. It tested features such as close-coupled canards, fully digital flight controls (including for propulsion), graphite and fiberglass composites, remote piloting, synthetic vision, and winglets.
Rockwell International built two examples. Their first flights occurred in 1979, and testing wrapped up in 1983, with a total of 26 flights between them.
The design team chose remote piloting because it was cheaper and safer than risking a pilot’s life, and it eliminated the need for an ejection seat. A pilot on the ground flew the aircraft from a remote cockpit, with control signals uplinked and telemetry downlinked to displays. The remote cockpit could show either nose-camera video or a 3D synthetic vision display called a “visual display.”
The HiMATs were launched from a B-52 Stratofortress at altitude. A TF-104G Starfighter chase plane carried backup controls that could take over if the ground pilot lost command. The aircraft were built from graphite-epoxy composites, which were as strong as metal but lighter and more flexible.
Advances in digital flight control from this project contributed to the Grumman X-29, and composite construction is now common on both commercial and military aircraft. The initial concept included a wedge-shaped exhaust nozzle with 2D thrust vectoring.
The HiMAT was first shown to VIPs and media in March 1978. Soon after, it was trucked to the Armstrong Flight Research Center for flight testing. The second aircraft arrived there on June 15. On March 16, 1978, the first HiMAT (RPRV 870) underwent its first fit check with the NB-52 Stratofortress, using the same method as the X-15 but with a purpose-built adapter. The first captive flight test, scheduled for July 11, 1979, was aborted due to telemetry and systems issues; it succeeded on July 20, and the first free flight was set for the following week.
That first free flight occurred on July 27, 1979, with NASA test pilot William H. Dana controlling from the ground. The aircraft met its objectives and landed safely near Edwards Air Force Base. Testing went smoothly until the fifth flight on July 8, 1980, when the ground pilot lost control and the backup pilot in the TF-104G took over.
Quick Facts
- National Origin
- United States
- Manufacturer
- Rockwell International
- First Flight
- July 27, 1979
- Retired
- January 1983
- Primary User
- NASA
- Produced
- 1975-1979
- Number Built
- 2
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The HiMATs were remotely piloted because the design team decided it would be cheaper and safer to not risk a pilot's life during experiments, and no ejection seat had to be fitted. The aircraft was flown by a pilot in a remote cockpit on the ground, with control signals uplinked and telemetry downlinked. The remote cockpit could be configured with either nose camera video or a 3D synthetic vision display called a 'visual display'. The aircraft were launched from a B-52 Stratofortress at altitude, and a TF-104G Starfighter chase plane carried a set of backup controls that could take control if the ground pilot lost command.
The HiMAT was created using graphite-epoxy composites, which were as strong as metal counterparts but lighter and more flexible. The initial concept included a wedge-shaped exhaust nozzle with 2D thrust vectoring. Two aircraft were produced by Rockwell International. Their first flights took place in 1979, and testing was completed in 1983. The aircraft was flown 26 times.
The first HiMAT was revealed to the public in March 1978. On March 16, 1978, it underwent its first fit check with the NB-52 Stratofortress. The first captive flight test, scheduled for July 11, 1979, was aborted due to telemetry and systems issues, and was conducted on July 20. The first free flight was on July 27, 1979, with NASA test pilot William H. Dana controlling from the ground. The fifth flight on July 8, 1980, saw the ground pilot lose control; the backup pilot in the TF-104G took over, but a software glitch prevented landing skid deployment, resulting in an emergency belly landing. The aircraft was repaired and flew again on October 10. The second HiMAT, RPRV 871, first flew on July 24, 1981, performed the first 8G maneuver on February 18, 1982, and reached Mach 1.2 on May 11 and Mach 1.45 on May 14, 1982. RPRV 870 made its final flight on August 17, 1982, and RPRV 871 on January 12, 1983, flying 14 and 12 times respectively.
Reader's Guide
The HiMAT program contributed advances in digital flight control that influenced the Grumman X-29 experimental aircraft. Its composite construction techniques are now used widely on both commercial and military aircraft. The project demonstrated the viability of remote piloting for high-risk experimental flight, eliminating the need for ejection seats and reducing risk to human life. The synthetic vision system and fully digital flight control (including propulsion) were pioneering for their time. The two aircraft flew a combined 26 times, with average flight times of about 30 minutes, accumulating over 22 hours of flight data. The HiMAT's exploration of close-coupled canards, winglets, and 2D thrust vectoring concepts informed later fighter designs. The aircraft are now on display, one at the National Air and Space Museum and the other at the Armstrong Flight Research Center, serving as tangible artifacts of the technology development that shaped modern aviation.
Did You Know?
- The HiMAT reached a top speed of Mach 1.45 during testing.
- One HiMAT is on display at the National Air and Space Museum, the other at the Armstrong Flight Research Center.
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