24/7 Space News
AEROSPACE
Aurora Flight Sciences to build DARPA's X-65 utilizing Active Flow Control
In third phase of CRANE program, Aurora Flight Sciences will build X-plane with no moving control surfaces.
Aurora Flight Sciences to build DARPA's X-65 utilizing Active Flow Control
by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jan 09, 2024

Aurora Flight Sciences has been chosen by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to construct a groundbreaking full-scale X-plane. This aircraft, named the X-65, will serve as a technology demonstrator within the Control of Revolutionary Aircraft with Novel Effectors (CRANE) program. This initiative marks a significant shift in the realm of aircraft design, moving away from traditional flight control methods towards the innovative use of Active Flow Control (AFC) actuators.

Since the Wright brothers' historic flight in 1903, aircraft have predominantly relied on movable, external control surfaces for maneuvering. The X-65 disrupts this long-standing design approach by employing jets of air from a pressurized source to manipulate the flow of air over the aircraft's surfaces. This technique, utilizing AFC effectors on various parts of the aircraft, will control the plane's roll, pitch, and yaw. The expected benefits of this shift are substantial, including reductions in weight and complexity and enhancements in performance.

Dr. Richard Wlezien, DARPA's program manager for CRANE, emphasizes the unique aspects of the X-65, particularly its diamond-like wing shape. This design is intended to optimize the learning potential about AFC in real-world, full-scale tests. The aircraft will incorporate both traditional flaps and rudders and AFC effectors across its lifting surfaces. This dual-setup aims to provide a reliable baseline using conventional control surfaces and gradually transition to a focus on AFC effectiveness.

Wlezien likens the X-65's conventional surfaces to "training wheels," offering an initial understanding of AFC's potential as a replacement for traditional flight controls. The aircraft will be equipped with sensors to monitor and compare the performance of AFC effectors with that of traditional control mechanisms. This data will be instrumental in exploring how AFC technology could revolutionize both military and commercial aviation.

The unmanned X-65, weighing over 7,000 pounds and boasting a 30-foot wingspan, is designed to reach speeds up to Mach 0.7. Its size and speed parameters, akin to those of a military trainer aircraft, ensure that the flight-test results will be immediately relevant to current aircraft design.

Notably, the X-65 is being developed as a modular platform. This design choice allows for easy interchangeability of wing sections and AFC effectors, ensuring the aircraft's longevity as a test asset for DARPA and other agencies even after the completion of the CRANE program.

Fabrication of the X-plane has already commenced at Aurora Flight Sciences, with an anticipated rollout in early 2025 and the first flight scheduled for that summer. Wlezien, who joined DARPA in 1999 to work on the Micro Adaptive Flow Control program, which laid the groundwork for CRANE, expressed his excitement about the project. His return to DARPA to oversee this full-scale implementation of early research into a physical aircraft underscores the significance and potential impact of the X-65 project.

Related Links
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
Aerospace News at SpaceMart.com

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
AEROSPACE
Denmark says Ukraine to get F-16 jets in second quarter
Copenhagen (AFP) Jan 6, 2024
Denmark's transfer of 19 American-made F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine will take place in the second quarter of 2024, once Ukrainian pilots have completed training, the defence ministry said Saturday. "Based on the current timetable, the donation should take place in the second quarter of 2024," the Danish ministry said in a statement. "It's mainly an issue of finishing the training of Ukrainian personnel who will operate the planes." Denmark, which is replacing its F-16 fleet with more modern ... read more

AEROSPACE
NASA Revamps Contracts with Blue Origin and Starlab for LEO Station Projects Post-ISS Era

Exploring Venus and Beyond: NASA Funds Innovative Space Concepts for 2024

Designing the 'perfect' meal to feed long-term space travelers

Insect compasses, fire-fighting vines: 2023's nature-inspired tech

AEROSPACE
ULA's Vulcan Centaur launches first American Moon lander in over 50 years

SpaceX sues to stop US hearing over fired workers

SpaceX set for Falcon Heavy USSF-52 mission to launch X-37B military space plane

SpaceX launches Starlink, Sarah-2 missions

AEROSPACE
Sols 4059-4061: New Year, Old Challenges

Sols 4056-4058 Blog: "Ringing" in a New Year

Recent volcanism on Mars reveals a planet more active than previously thought

Sussex research takes us a step closer to sustaining human life on Mars

AEROSPACE
Shenzhou XVII astronauts set for their first spacewalk

China's commercial space sector achieves milestones with series of successful launches

China's space programme: Five things to know

Long March rockets mark their 500th spaceflight

AEROSPACE
First Batch of Starlink Satellites for Direct-to-Cell Service Launched by SpaceX

Ovzon 3 Satellite Launched Aboard SpaceX's Veteran Falcon 9 to Geosynchronous Orbit

Terran Orbital Reports Key Payment from Rivada and Strong Year-End Cash Position

AST SpaceMobile nears funding milestone for cellular broadband in space

AEROSPACE
The Future of fashion: Waste is the new cotton

NASA's Cryo Efforts Beyond the Atmosphere

Amazon's game streaming platform Twitch cuts 500 jobs

Researchers 3D print components for a portable mass spectrometer

AEROSPACE
COSMIC: The SETI Institute is unlocking the mysteries of the universe with breakthrough technology at the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array

Hubble observes a changing exoplanet atmosphere

Is oxygen the cosmic key to alien technology?

A carbon-lite atmosphere could be a sign of water and life on other terrestrial planets

AEROSPACE
New images reveal what Neptune and Uranus really look like

Researchers reveal true colors of Neptune, Uranus

The PI's Perspective: The Long Game

Webb rings in the holidays with the ringed planet Uranus

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.