Overview
- Aurora Flight Sciences said Thursday the X-65 fuselage arrived in Virginia for system installation as wing and tail work continues in West Virginia.
- Teams are fitting electrical, propulsion, and active flow control hardware that directs pressurized air to control pitch, roll, and yaw.
- The unmanned X-65 is a DARPA CRANE demonstrator built to test flight without ailerons, elevators, or a rudder.
- The testbed has a 30-foot wingspan, weighs about 7,000 pounds, and employs fourteen embedded effectors across its flying surfaces.
- A DARPA–Aurora co-investment from August 2025 underpins the build, with flight testing targeted in 2027 to inform future military and unmanned designs.