Aurora Flight Sciences, a Boeing company, is developing the X-65 X-plane under DARPA’s CRANE program to test active flow control (AFC), which uses jets of air instead of traditional flaps and rudders to manage pitch, roll, and yaw. The 30-foot wingspan, 7,000-pound aircraft is being built at Aurora’s West Virginia facility, with fuselage, wings, and propulsion systems in production and AFC components ready for integration. Designed for modular testing, the X-65 allows interchangeable wings and effectors to explore multiple AFC configurations. The program aims to improve aerodynamics, reduce weight, and simplify mechanical systems, providing flight test data to inform future aircraft designs. They write:
Aurora Flight Sciences, a Boeing company, is building an X-plane, designated the X-65, as part of a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) program to gather flight test data on active flow control (AFC). AFC replaces traditional control mechanisms, like flaps and rudders, with jets of air to control the aircraft’s pitch, roll, and yaw. AFC is expected to improve aerodynamics and to reduce weight and mechanical complexity.
In August 2025, Aurora and DARPA finalized an agreement to co-invest in the completion and first flight of the X-65. The Control of Revolutionary Aircraft with Novel Effectors (CRANE) program is now progressing towards completion of the fuselage in January 2026.
Aurora previously completed preliminary and critical design review phases and has made significant progress in manufacturing the aircraft. The fuselage, wing assemblies, and engine diffuser are being manufactured in Aurora’s West Virginia facility. Propulsion and AFC system components are currently in-house and ready for integration.
The X-65 is purpose-designed for testing and demonstrating active flow control with a 30-ft wingspan and 7000 lb. gross weight. The AFC system supplies pressurized air to fourteen AFC effectors embedded across all flying surfaces. The triangular wing design enables testing across multiple wing sweeps and is modular with replaceable outboard wings and swappable AFC effectors to allow for future testing of additional AFC designs.
“We’re excited to continue our longstanding partnership with DARPA to complete the build of the X-65 aircraft and demonstrate the capabilities of active flow control in flight,” said Larry Wirsing, VP of aircraft development at Aurora Flight Sciences. “The X-65 platform will be an enduring flight test asset, and we’re confident that future aircraft designs and research missions will be able to leverage the underlying technologies and flight test data.”
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