Ryan X-13 Vertijet Pure-Jet VTOL Research Aircraft Family
The Ryan X-13 Vertijet was a compact pure-jet tail-sitter demonstrator built to prove vertical takeoff, transition to horizontal flight, and vertical landing from a mobile trailer. Two aircraft tested the concept from 1955 through 1957, including the first complete vertical-launch, level-flight, and vertical-recovery cycle at Edwards; the programme ended without production but established the feasibility of jet-only VTOL flight.
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Identity
- Aliases
- X-13X-13 VertijetRyan VertijetTail-sitter VTOL demonstrator
- Family Name
- Ryan X-13 Vertijet
- Full Name
- Ryan X-13 Vertijet Pure-Jet VTOL Research Aircraft Family
- Roles
- militaryexperimentalresearchtechnology_demonstrator
- Status
- retired
- Type
- aircraft
Details
- Aircraft Specs
- Configuration
- powered_lift
- Operating Modes
- land
- Takeoff Landing Capabilities
- vtol
- Description
- The Ryan X-13 Vertijet was a compact pure-jet tail-sitter demonstrator built to prove vertical takeoff, transition to horizontal flight, and vertical landing from a mobile trailer. Two aircraft tested the concept from 1955 through 1957, including the first complete vertical-launch, level-flight, and vertical-recovery cycle at Edwards; the programme ended without production but established the feasibility of jet-only VTOL flight.
- First Flight Year
- 1,955
- Propulsion Configurations
- Entries
- Count
- 1
- Propulsion System
- Role
- main
- Variant Notes
- Rolls-Royce Avon pure-jet installation; the official X-13 museum fact sheet identifies a 10,000-lb-thrust Avon without a narrower mark.
- Notes
- Official X-13 museum evidence identifies one Rolls-Royce Avon engine; no narrower Avon mark is asserted.
Links
Assets & Meta
- Creation Time
- August 13, 2026 at 22:00:47 UTC
- Updated Time
- August 15, 2026 at 02:44:43 UTC