McDonnell Douglas and NASA embarked on a joint project in 1994 to develop a prototype fighter aircraft designed for stealth and agility. The result is a subscale tailless aircraft called the X-36. The 28 percent scale, remotely piloted X-36 has no vertical or horizontal tails, yet it is expected to be more maneuverable and agile than today's fighters. In addition, the tailless design reduces the weight, drag, and radar cross section typically associated with traditional fighter aircraft.