Blended Reincarnation Takes Off

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The X-48C, a reworked remotely controlled model of Boeing’s blended-wing-body research aircraft, lifted off for the first time during a test flight at Edwards AFB, Calif., announced the company. The airplane climbed to 5,500 feet and flew for nine minutes during the Aug. 7 flight, according Boeing. The X-48C is an 8.5 percent replica mimicking the characteristics of a subsonic military airlifter with a 240-foot wingspan, states the company. X-48B—the previous iteration of the design that flew from 2007 to 2010—”proved that a BWB aircraft can be controlled as effectively as a conventional tube-and-wing aircraft during takeoffs and landings,” said Boeing Project Manager Robert Liebeck. “With the X-48C, we will be evaluating the impact of noise-shielding concepts on [the aircraft’s] low-speed flight characteristics,” he added. Engineers replaced the X-48B’s tri-jet propulsion with a pair of higher thrust turbojets. They also swapped the B model’s winglets for a pair of vertical stabilizers, and extended the aircraft’s aft deck. (See also NASA release and Boeing special report, including link to flight video.)

Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org