Aurora Flight Sciences, a Boeing company, has released its concept, X-65 Jet. The company plans to build a full scale of X-65 for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) Control of Revolutionary Aircraft with Novel Effectors (CRANE) program. This X-plane would demonstrate the power of active flow control especially at tactically relevant scale and flight conditions.

X-65 Aircraft is specially designed for testing and demonstrating Active flow Control (AFC) for multiple effects. AFC technology has high possibility of replacing traditional flaps and rudders where they are used to maneuver most aircraft today. AFC system delivers many benefits in many areas such as weight, aerodynamics, and mechanical complexity, it is highly functional for both commercial and military applications.

Instead of rudders and flaps, X-65 Jet from Aurora Flight Sciences uses pressurized air in 14 “effectors” to shape airflow over the surface, it controls roll, pitch, and yaw. By reducing external moving parts, it helps decrease weight as well as complexity while improving performance. As a concept project, X-65 technology demonstrates the benefits of diamond-like wing shape, it helps the team to learn about AFC in full-scale real-world tests.