The X-65 aircraft is manufactured by a subsidiary of Boeing called Aurora Flight Sciences. His concept was supported by the US Department of Defense’s development agency, DARPA, as part of the Control of Revolutionary Aircraft with New Effectors program. The experimental plane is entering the production phase and could fly as early as next year.
The key technology the project is testing is known as active flow control (AFC), which relies on directed flows of compressed air to steer the plane rather than flaps and rudders.
Although development is primarily funded by the US military, the X-65 aspires to change the future of aircraft design in general, including civil aircraft. “As we enter the manufacturing phase, we are getting closer to validating the AFC technology, which could open up a design pipeline for future applications,” Aurora program director Kevin Uleck said, according to The Register.
According to Aurora, AFC technology has the potential to reduce aircraft weight, improve aerodynamics, enable new types of aircraft designs and reduce mechanical complexity.
View of the X-65 experimental aircraft
The current phase of the project will culminate with the flight test of an unmanned aircraft with a wingspan of nine meters and a weight of 3.2 tonnes, at speeds of up to 860 km/h. Data from the test flight will be immediately applicable to real-world scenarios because the X-65 is similar in size, weight and speed to a military trainer, DARPA said.
The experimental aircraft will be equipped with fourteen AFC effectors, which are sets of nozzles with independently controllable air intakes. To compare its effectiveness, the X-65 aircraft is also equipped with traditional flaps and rudders, and it will be possible to not only switch, but also combine individual control methods in flight.
2024-01-09 23:02:24
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