Revolutionary new X-Plane achieves mach speeds with innovative wing design
- This new X-plane reaches Mach speeds due to its unique design
- The X-65 doesn’t have conventional rudders, flaps, or other moving parts on the exterior to boost its stealth capabilities
- It’s the holes in its wings that help it achieve eye-watering Mach speeds – and it’s currently being tested by the US military
Published on May 13, 2024 at 8:20 PM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Last updated on May 14, 2024 at 5:46 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
Call it a UFO, because this new X-65 plane reaches Mach speeds due to a design that’s like nothing you’ve ever seen before.
Without the conventional rudders and flaps or other aircraft, the X-65 has no moving parts on the exterior to boost its stealth capabilities.
Instead, it uses holes in its wings to hit eye-watering Mach speeds – and it’s currently being tested by the US military.
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It’s being developed by Aurora Flight Sciences for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA).
It forms part of their Control of Revolutionary Aircraft with Novel Effectors (CRANE) program.
The X-65 plane uses a phenomenon known as active flow control (AFC) to accomplish its maneuvers and speed.
It’s the most recent of the government’s long-term X-Plane series, which has gone through multiple iterations since Aurora initiated the concept in 2020.
The X-65 has already passed the initial design stage with Boeing and the University of Arizona.
It has completed system requirements, airworthiness evaluations, and wind tunnel testing.
Construction of an unpiloted demonstrator began after the project was green-lighted in December 2022.
The innovative X-65 aircraft uses jets of compressed air in 14 ‘effectors’ to shape airflow over its surface to control roll, pitch, and yaw.
As a welcome side-effect, this design element also decreases weight.
Dr. Richard Wlezien, DARPA’s program manager for CRANE, made a statement.
“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,” he said.
The demonstrator is set to have a 9-meter (30-foot) wingspan and weigh in at 3,175 kg (7,000 lbs).
With these stats, it will reach speeds of Mach 0.7 (864 km/h or 537 mph).
But it’s not the fastest plane out there: America might possess a secret jet capable of the fastest ever hypersonic speed: Mach 5+.
Initially, the demonstrator will have flaps and rudders, as well as the ‘effector’ air jets, to allow for control for comparison against traditional aircraft.
“These data will help us better understand how AFC could revolutionize both military and commercial craft in the future,” Wlezien said.
The X-65 has a modular construction enabling the outboard wings to be swapped for AFC effectors.
It will hopefully be ground-tested next summer at Aurora’s headquarters in Manassas, Virginia in the US.
“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.
It is unlikely to break into the risk-averse world of commercial aviation.
However, NASA and Boeing have revealed a new look for a green X-plane of the future.
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All Supercar Blondie contributors undergo editorial review and fact-checking to ensure accuracy and authority in automotive journalism. After gaining her BA Hons in French and English at the University of Nottingham, Amelia embarked on a vocational diploma from the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ). This led to numerous opportunities, from interning at Vogue to being on the small team that launched Women’s Health magazine in the UK, which was named the PPA Consumer magazine of the year for three years running. As Health, Beauty and Fitness editor, Amelia personally received a Johnson & Johnson Award and was shortlisted for both PPA and BSME titles. Since then, Amelia has created content for numerous titles and brands, including the Telegraph, 111 Skin, Waitrose, Red magazine, Stylist, and Elle, as well as being Head of Content at Vitality and Editor in Chief at INLondon magazine. “My superpower is translating technical jargon about the mechanical workings of a supercar into a relatable story you’ll want to share with your friends after you’ve read it.” After joining the SB Media family as a senior journalist in September of 2023, Amelia’s role has evolved to see her heading up the SEO output of the editorial team. From researching the most ‘Google-able’ key terms to producing evergreen content - it’s been a time of hard work, growth, and success for the editorial team and the Supercar Blondie website. “I like to think of myself as a ‘method journalist’. In other words: I live and breathe whatever I am writing about. When writing about fitness, I trained as a personal trainer, and as a beauty editor, I completed an ‘expert’ in scent diploma with the Fragrance Foundation. “During my tenure at Supercar Blondie, however, I did something I never thought possible: I passed my driving test at the age of 36. One day I’d love to train as a mechanic to better understand what happens under the hood, too. “My sweet spot is providing readers with a ‘takeaway’ (read: something new they didn’t know before) after reading every one of my stories. While I don’t claim to be an expert in the automotive world, I know the experts and bodies in the field to rely on to provide our readers with an informative and thought-provoking story every time they visit the site.”
