GRUMMAN X-29 CONTRACTOR'S MODEL.

GRUMMAN X-29 CONTRACTOR'S MODEL.
Contractor's model in painted wood on wooden stand, marked only "Grumman" on tail fin. Scale not specified. 24-1/2 x 13-1/4 x 6-1/4 inches, excluding stand.
Provenance: Manufactured by a major aerospace model shop.

The experimental Grumman X-29 was notable for its forward-swept wings. Two prototypes were built in the 1980's and flown by NASA and the U.S. Air Force. The extensive use of carbon fiber composites and fly-by-wire controls introduced important new technologies in aircraft design, and although the X-29 was never intended to be a production aircraft, its design was influential on future aircraft development. The two original prototypes are currently housed at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, and the Armstrong Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base.