Experimental Aircraft

DARPA’s Control of Revolutionary Aircraft with Novel Effectors (CRANE) program aims to demonstrate the benefits of active flow control at tactically relevant scale and flight conditions. Following successful completion of preliminary and detailed design, wind tunnel testing, AFC system testing, and more, Aurora has begun manufacturing the X-plane. The program would culminate in flight tests of the X-65 aircraft at speeds up to Mach 0.7.

Aurora’s preliminary design work for DARPA’s Liberty Lifter, an affordable and innovative seaplane capable of takeoff and landing in high sea states and operating in ground effect, showed the technical feasibility of the seaplane design and developed novel manufacturing techniques that reduce manufacturing costs.

Aurora designed a high-speed, vertical lift X-plane using fan-in-wing technology to enable a transformational combination of aircraft speed and runway independence. This work was part of DARPA’s SPeed and Runway INdependent Technologies (SPRINT) program. Testing validated the feasibility of the design and analytical estimates of aircraft performance.

Aurora is supporting GE Aerospace with airplane modification, system integration, and flight-testing services for NASA’s Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstration (EPFD) project. The project aims to conduct ground and flight tests of electrified aircraft propulsion technologies to enable a new generation of electric-powered aircraft.

NASA’s Sustainable Flight Demonstrator (SFD) project aims to design, build, and flight test a full-scale single-aisle X-plane, designated X-66, equipped with a transonic truss-braced wing (TTBW) to reduce carbon emissions and improve efficiency. Aurora, in its role on the Boeing team selected for the project, is focusing on the design, build, integration, and delivery of the TTBW system.