A revolutionary aircraft that is expected to make flaps obsolete is nearing the flight-test phase
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Author:小编   

The X-65 experimental aircraft, developed by Boeing's Aurora Flight Sciences for the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), has achieved a critical milestone: the active flow control technology-enabled test aircraft's wings have arrived at the integration facility in Virginia and begun assembly with the fuselage, officially entering the pre-flight integration phase. The X-65 aims to validate a flight control method without traditional mechanical control surfaces, using 14 pressurized airflow effectors to eject high-speed air streams to alter the airflow distribution over the wing surface, enabling pitch, roll, and yaw control. The aircraft has a wingspan of 9.14 meters, a maximum takeoff weight of approximately 3.175 tons, a maximum speed of Mach 0.7, and features a modular diamond-shaped connected wing design. It is scheduled for its maiden flight in late 2027. If successful, it will profoundly impact the design of sixth-generation fighters, stealth UAVs, and next-generation civil aircraft, propelling aviation technology into the era of flapless flight.