The X-65 experimental jet has fourteen aerodynamic control effectors are embedded into the wings and fuselage to control speed and direction.
Who says you need flaps and rudders to fly a jet? Aurora Flight Sciences is working on a new X-65—the latest in the government’s long-running experimental X-Plane series—that uses active flow control to accomplish all maneuvers.
The aircraft is part of the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency’s Control of Revolutionary Aircraft with Novel Effectors program. While the government acronym isn’t as catchy as the X-Plane’s name, the program has gone through multiple phases since Aurora initiated the concept in 2020. Since then, the X-65 has progressed through its initial design with Boeing and the University of Arizona, completed system requirements, airworthiness evaluations, and wind-tunnel testing.
“The X-65 is a technology demonstrator, and its distinctive, diamond-like wing shape is designed to help us maximize what we can learn about AFC in full-scale, real-world tests,” said Dr. Richard Wlezien, DARPA’s program manager for CRANE, in a statement. The unpiloted demonstrator will have a 30-foot wingspan, weigh about 7,000 pounds and reach speeds to Mach 0.7, or 537 mph. It will first have flaps and rudders, as well as the effectors, which allows a performance comparison with traditional control mechanisms. “These data will help us better understand how AFC could revolutionize both military and commercial craft in the future,” said Wlezien.
“We are getting ever closer to fulfilling the goal of validating AFC technology and helping to open the design trade space for future applications,” said Kevin Uleck, CRANE program director at Aurora Flight Sciences. “The X-65 has the potential to change the future of aircraft design.
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