A futuristic new plane is taking shape in West Virginia
Published on Dec 06, 2025 at 3:25 PM (UTC+4)
by Molly Davidson
Last updated on Dec 04, 2025 at 9:27 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Emma Matthews
A futuristic new aircraft is taking shape in West Virginia, and it looks straight out of a sci-fi movie.
Its sharp angles and polygon-like curves make it stand out like no other.
But the real plot twist isn’t the shape engineers gave it; it’s what they’re trying to take away from it entirely.
And if they get this right, one of aviation’s oldest design rules might be up for a rewrite.
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The experimental X-65 taking shape in West Virginia
Meet DARPA’s X-65, currently being built by Aurora Flight Sciences in Bridgeport, West Virginia.
The fuselage is already sitting on the factory floor, waiting for a diamond-shaped wing that could double as a sci-fi prop.
The whole point of this project is to see if a plane can fly without the usual moving parts – no flaps, no ailerons, no rudder.
Instead, the X-65 uses Active Flow Control, which is a fancy way of saying it controls itself with puffs of air.
A total of 14 hidden nozzles fire tiny blasts along the wings and tail, and those bursts shift the airflow just enough to make the plane turn, climb, or dip.
It’s like the aviation version of air hockey, except the jet is the puck.
DARPA picked a diamond wing because it naturally makes airflow messy – normally a big problem, but here it’s perfect.
The crazier the air gets, the more useful the data becomes for testing how well those air jets can calm things down.
Since this is a research aircraft, the first test flights will still use training wheel control surfaces for safety.
Once the team gets a baseline, they’ll switch to air-only controls, even at transonic speeds where everything gets spicy fast.
The project has hit delays, but the first flight is now planned for late 2027.
And because the aircraft has modular parts, engineers can swap components and try new nozzle setups without building a new plane every time.
Why DARPA wants to ditch flaps and hinges altogether
Traditional control surfaces work, but they’re heavy, draggy, and stuffed with complicated hardware.
They also reflect radar like a disco ball.
Air jets solve all of that – lighter wings, smoother surfaces, fewer parts to break, and way better stealth.
If the X-65 proves it can fly cleanly at all speeds and angles, AFC could reshape the next generation of military and research aircraft.
Which makes this diamond-wing oddball in West Virginia feel less like a weird experiment and more like the first draft of aviation’s future.
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Molly Davidson is a Junior Content Writer at Supercar Blondie. Based in Melbourne, she holds a double Bachelor’s degree in Arts/Law from Swinburne University and a Master’s of Writing and Publishing from RMIT. Molly has contributed to a range of magazines and journals, developing a strong interest in lifestyle and car news content. When she’s not writing, she’s spending quality time with her rescue English staffy, Boof.
