The restoration team at the National Museum of US Air Force completed the renovation of one of the strangest planes in its inventory, the Boeing X-32.
The organization, which has one of the largest aircraft collections in the world, announced on 08/12 the completion of the jet's restoration, which took three months. After the restoration, the old prototype was taken to the yard for a photo shoot.
This week, the USAF museum released a video with images and details of the X-32, before and after the renovation, which included new painting, application of new stickers, restoration of the cockpit and work on the engine and interior of the plane's fuselage.
With the completion of the work, the X-32 leaves the restoration hangar and will be taken to the main hall, where it can be seen up close by visitors.
The Boeing X-32A restoration is complete after three months! More video from the official photoshoot coming soon! #avgeek Boeing https://t.co/ly2eCfGQpF pic.twitter.com/ZWh61QrnIS
— National Museum USAF (@AFmuseum) December 8, 2023
The X-32 was Boeing's response to the t Strike Fighter project, conducted in the early 2000s. The aircraft's “peculiar” design ended up being its most notable feature, yielding countless memes on the internet and even the nickname of one of the planes. ugliest in the world.
The Seattle company presented two prototypes: the X-32A, with conventional landing and takeoff, and the X-32B with VSTOL (short/vertical landing and takeoff) capability.
During evaluations, the X-32s performed 144 test flights against Lockheed Martin's X-35, which ended up winning the project, becoming the current F-35 Lightning II. In 2005, the planes were sent to different museums.
The recently renovated X-32A was donated to the National Air Force Museum, where it was exposed outdoors for a while, deteriorating the condition of the aircraft. The X-32B was transferred to the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum, where it was also exposed to the elements and, consequently, is in a poor state of conservation.
