Big Things in a Small Package | Rockwell HiMAT | Peculiar Prototypes

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Published on October 6, 2023 5:00:05 PM ● Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABZlD868kDU

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this miniature remote-controlled aircraft was responsible for shaping many of the modern airliners we have flying today. In 1975, Rockwell International developed the RPRV-870 HiMAT, or the Highly Maneuverable Aircraft Technology, to investigate and test various new technologies for use in future combat vehicles.

This small aircraft, measuring just 7 meters long, would be dropped from the wings of a B-52 Stratofortress and remotely controlled by the ground crew, or even one of the co-pilots in the TF-104G Starfighter chase planes. Close-coupled canard configuration, composite materials, remote piloting, and winglets were just some of the long lists of new technologies being tested aboard this experimental aircraft. Data gathered in this program were further studied and ultimately contributed to the development of the Grumman X-29, an aircraft built to test the forward-swept wing configuration. Additionally, the composite construction of the HiMAT was later widely adapted to both military and commercial applications, which means