Code One Magazine: The X Planes, X-9

X-9
Mission: The X-9, nicknamed Shrike by Bell, was designed to serve as a system and aerodynamic testbed for the unsuccessful Bell GAM-63 Rascal air-to-surface nuclear warhead missile. It eventually proved so successful that Bell proposed it as a complement to the Rascal, though to no avail. The X-9 was powered by a two-chamber Bell-developed XLR65 rocket engine.

Manufacturer: Bell Aircraft Corporation
Number Built: 31
Sponsor: USAF, Bell Aircraft Corporation
Fastest Flight: 2.0 Mach (1,320 mph)
Highest Flight: 65,000 feet
First Flight: 28 April 1949
Last Flight: 23 January 1953
Total Flights: 28
Length: 22 feet 9 inches
Wingspan: 7 feet 10 inches
Height (dia.): 1 feet 10 inches
Gross Weight: 3,495 lb

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