Lockheed X-7 “Flying Stove Pipe”
Unmanned test bed for ramjet engines, USA

Archive Photos ¹

Lockheed X-7 “Flying Stove Pipe” on display c.2000 at the Planes of Fames Air Museum, Chino, CA (photos by John Shupek)

Overview

The Lockheed X-7 (dubbed the "Flying Stove Pipe") was an American unmanned test bed of the 1950s for ramjet engines and missile guidance technology. It was the basis for the later Lockheed AQM-60 Kingfisher, a system used to test American air defenses against nuclear missile attack.

References

1. Photos: Shupek, John. Copyright © 2000, 2003 Skytamer Images (skytamer.com)