A bug's-eye view of NASA's F-16XL at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, shows the unique shape of its delta cranked arrow wing. The aircraft was most recently used in the Cranked-Arrow Wing Aerodynamics Project (CAWAP) to test boundary layer pressures and distribution.

Previously it been used in a program to investigate the characteristics of sonic booms for NASA's High Speed Research Program. Data from the program could be used in the development of a high speed civilian transport. During the series of sonic boom research flights, the F-16XL was used to probe the shock waves being generated by a NASA SR-71 to record their shape and intensity.