@ Palmdale, CA
March 2017
The Lockheed Martin X-55 Advanced Composite Cargo Aircraft (ACCA) is an experimental transport aircraft built to demonstrate new cargo aircraft capabilities using advanced composite material. A project of the USAF Air Force Research Laboratory, this aircraft was built by Lockheed Martin, at its Advanced Development Programs (Skunk Works) facility here in Palmdale. The X-55 is based on the existing Fairchild Dornier 328JET airliner. The fuselage was replaced aft of the entrance door with a new, wider fuselage that allows the loading of cargo through a rear ramp. The new fuselage section is constructed as a single large component, including the vertical stabilizer. First flown in 2009, it was estimated that the X-55 was built for half the cost of a conventional design for a similar aircraft. Nikon D500 w/18-200mm.
