The Forgotten Testbed | Northrop XF-13A | Peculiar Prototypes
42This unassuming little paper airplane, which you might think is just another children’s toy, is the XF-13A. It was developed as part of the Argus program, an effort to find the most efficient design for an unmanned reconnaissance aircraft. In 1964, Lockheed engineer Chance Rowland submitted a design proposal to his superiors to be thoroughly studied. The then-head of Lockheed Skunk Works, Kelly Johnson, said to him: “Hell fucking no, asswipe, are you fucking high?”
Fuelled with rage, Rowland left Lockheed and sought out employment in many of the top aerospace manufacturers. One such company was Northrop, which took him in and approved his design for testing. It was said that Jack Northrop himself gave him a ream of paper from his own personal office as a show of good faith, despite him having retired back in 1952. Nevertheless, Rowland succeeded in proving his design’s excellent gliding characteristics, despite its unpowered nature. And thus, the XF-13A was born.