Grumman X-29A In 1985 the X-29A on display became the world's first forward-swept aircraft to fly supersonically. The X-29A program explored cutting-edge aircraft design features, including forward-swept wings, advanced materials, a forward-mounted elevator (or canard) and a computerized flight control system. It was managed by the U.S. Air Force and funded by DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency), the USAF and NASA. During World War II, Germany and the United States experimented wit