Aurora Flight Sciences is continuing its work with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to complete the construction and conduct the maiden flight of the X-65, an experimental aircraft capable of flying without traditional control surfaces.
The X-65 is the centerpiece of the Control of Revolutionary Aircraft with Novel Effectors (CRANE) program, which aims to validate Active Flow Control (AFC) technology. Instead of using mechanical flaps and rudders to maneuver, the X-65 utilizes jets of pressurized air to manage the aircraft’s pitch, roll, and yaw. This approach is expected to offer significant advantages over conventional designs, including improved aerodynamics, reduced weight, and lower mechanical complexity.
Purpose-designed for these tests, the aircraft features a 30-foot wingspan and a gross weight of 7,000 pounds. The AFC system relies on 14 effectors embedded across the flying surfaces to supply pressurized air. To ensure the platform remains relevant for long-term research, Aurora has implemented a modular triangular wing design. This configuration supports testing across multiple wing sweeps and allows for replaceable outboard wings and swappable AFC effectors, enabling the evaluation of various future designs.
Under the agreement finalized in August 2025, the program is moving rapidly toward the completion of the fuselage, which is scheduled for January 2026. Manufacturing is currently underway at Aurora’s West Virginia facility, where the fuselage, wing assemblies, and engine diffuser are being constructed. The company reports that propulsion and AFC system components are already in-house and ready for integration, following the earlier completion of preliminary and critical design reviews.
Larry Wirsing, VP of aircraft development at Aurora Flight Sciences, said, “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. 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.”
