X-7
The X-7 was built by Lockheed Missiles & Space Company for the US Air Force to test technology for supersonic ramjet engines and missile guidance and control components. Dubbed "the flying stovepipe," the 33-foot-long vehicle had a 10-foot wingspan and was 20 inches in diameter. The X-7 was carried aloft on a plane for aerial launch. The booster attached to the stern of the X-7 was ignited after launch and pushed the vehicle to approximately 1,000 miles an hour. The ramjet engine was mounted under the aft end of the fuselage. The ramjet being tested, slung underneath, then took over the propulsion, and the booster is jettisoned. B-29s and later B-50s were used as launch planes. First flown in April, 1951, the last of 130 flights occurred in July 1960.
