[imagesource:auroraflightsciences]

With no flaps and rudders, or any moving part on the exterior of the plane for that matter, the new X-65 jet can hit Mach speeds with holes in its wings.

It sounds like sci-fi, but it’s just the latest mad offering from the US government’s long-running experimental X-Plane series.

The aeroplane is part of the DARPA Control of Revolutionary Aircraft with Novel Effectors (CRANE) programme, and while the government term isn’t as memorable as the X-Plane brand, the programme has progressed through several stages since Aurora first proposed the idea in 2020.

Since then, the X-65 has gone through its first design phase with Boeing and the University of Arizona, as well as system requirements, airworthiness evaluations, and wind tunnel testing. The project was given the green light in December 2022 to begin detailed engineering design, and construction of a demonstration has now begun.

Instead of rudders and flaps, it uses jets of pressurised air in 14 “effectors” to shape airflow over the X-65’s surface to control roll, pitch, and yaw. Besides looking cool, the absence of external moving parts decreases weight and complexity while improving performance.

“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 X-65 has the potential to change the future of aircraft design.”

The unpiloted demo model will have a nine-metre wingspan, weigh about 3,000 kilograms and reach speeds to Mach 0.7, or 860 km/h.

Once the X-Plane is completed, it will be ground-tested at Aurora’s headquarters in Manassas, Virginia. Flight testing is targeted for 2025.

[source:robbreport]