X-36

* AFD Storm
* AFD Strike

### Unlocked After

Purchase from Febris Airbase after completing The Battle for Notos Sea (*AFD Storm*)
Unlock Ellen (*AFD Strike*)

"*Its flaws were fixed, and performance enhanced, and it was re-christened the F-25. New operational capabilities brought about by its tailless construction and its ability to communicate by data link with other types of aircraft brought about a revolution in the next generation of strategic aircraft.*"
―*Airforce Delta Storm* manual description excerpt, page 27.

"*Designed as a highly maneuverable stealth test craft, it has superb handling and stealth capability, but a paltry payload.*"
―Harry's description of this plane in the shop.
The **X-36**, known as the **F-25C Warbler** in *Airforce Delta Storm*, is an aircraft that has appeared in all three *Airforce Delta* games. In real life, the X-36 was a small-scale "aircraft" controlled via a virtual cockpit on the ground, built to test the practicality of planes without vertical stabilizers. In the games, however, they are basic fighter jets. In the first game, notably, it was an NPC aircraft used exclusively by the enemy and was unavailable to the player. In *Strike*, it is usable by Ellen McNichol and is also used by Bravo Squadron in Wind Valley.

## Appearance (All games)

The X-36, obviously, has a very interesting design feature; It lacks vertical stabilizers. As previously stated, this was the point of the craft; to be a test bed for the possibility of aircraft without vertical stabilizers. Aside from that, the craft has a very small profile, and front canards. The rear engine is somewhat covered by an "eyelid-like" shaft, most likely there to vector the thrust of the engines.

## Performance

### *Airforce Delta*

As previously mentioned, in this game, the X-36 is used exclusively by the enemy, and cannot be used or unlocked. They also seem to have stealth capabilities. They are worth 50,000 thousand credits per-kill (Unless the kill was made with a vulcan, in which case, the money awarded is doubled).

### *Airforce Delta Storm*

Known as the **F-25C Warbler** in this game. It is now available for use by the player. It is a decent mid-game plane, having decent stats all around, as well as Stealth and a large range of 4. At the point in which it can be unlocked, it's a fairly decent craft, though once you unlock the likes of the YF-26ER Swan and MiG-1.44 MFI, this plane will start to be outclassed.

### *Airforce Delta Strike*

It, again, is a decent plane, armed with a decent salvo of missiles and LR-AAMs. However, unlike the last game, it lacks a vulcan (Though in space, that does not matter with the standard boosters). Compared to the F-25C Warbler in *Storm*, the stats this time around are nerfed, which isn't a very good thing, since the stats in *Storm* were merely "above average". Internal bomb-bays for missiles also hurts it a lot (though this, again, isn't as important in space missions). However, it IS armed with LR-AAMs, one of the best anti-air special weapons in the game, so... Eh. It's okay. It could be better, it could be worse. It's Ellen's only plane armed with LR-AAMs as well.

## Statistics

### *Airforce Delta Storm*

 **Range:** | 4

* *(!) - Mobility stat is higher in the PAL version, but still Medium-high.*

### *Airforce Delta Strike*

(Clockwise starting from top)

 **Speed:** | Medium-low

## Notable Appearances (Missions)

### *Airforce Delta*

* Enemy X-36s appear in Satellite Intercept Mission and Mobile Infantry. They are not required kills.

### *Airforce Delta Storm*

* Enemy F-25Cs appear as non-required targets in Final Mission.

### *Airforce Delta Strike*

* Bravo Team uses this plane in Wind Valley. They are all destroyed by the anti air weapon.

## Gallery

### *Airforce Delta*

Enemy X-36 from Satellite Intercept Mission.Enemy X-36 from Mobile Infantry.
### *Airforce Delta Storm*

Picture, plus stats.Stats in the PAL version. Note the increased mobility.F-25C Warbler wallpaper.F-25C alongside an F/A-24A in flight.F-25C Warbler in flight.F-25C Warbler collage.Enemy F-25C from Final Mission.Ditto.Player F-25CPlayer F-25CPlayer F-25CPlayer F-25CPlayer F-25CPlayer F-25C
### *Airforce Delta Strike*

X-36 in Ellen's paint scheme.X-36 with a generic paint scheme.David's X-36, used in the mission Wind Valley.Ditto.Aircraft statistics.Bravo Team X-36, used during the Wind Valley mission.Bravo Team X-36, used during the Wind Valley mission.Bravo Team X-36, used during the Wind Valley mission.Bravo Team X-36, used during the Wind Valley mission.X-36 cockpit in *AFD Strike*.The X-36's special weapons, Long-Ranged Air-to-Air Missiles.
## Trivia

* In *Airforce Delta*, enemy X-36s are counted as "Other Aircraft", and do not actually open fire on the player, despite clearly being armed. This is most likely a programming oversight.
* Technically, the X-36 should not be able to be piloted period. The real life X-36 was a subscale ground-controlled plane controlled by a virtual cockpit on the ground, and is much smaller than normal aircraft (18 feet long).
* This is the only aircraft to be a non-playable aircraft in one installment, only to be promoted to playable status in all of the others.
* The Mobile Infantry X-36's paint job seems to be heavily based on the paint job the real life X-36 possessed, with some differences (The logo on the middle of the craft is different, the trim of the aircraft's body is much larger, and it is silver as opposed to white).
* According to the *Airforce Delta Storm* manual, the F-25C is an evolution of the F/A-24A Acorn.

## References

1. ↑ Image from the manual with a description of both craft