April 13, 2013

The X-48C, transformed from the X-48B, taking its first flight over the Mojave Desert in California. Image Credit: NASA / Carla Thomas

redOrbit Staff & Wire Reports Your Universe Online

Tuesdays flight of NASAs remotely-piloted X-48C aircraft successfully concluded an eight month research campaign designed to demonstrate technological concepts for cleaner, quieter commercial air travel, the US space agency announced on Saturday.

The first flight of the Boeing-designed X-48 hybrid-wing-body subscale aircrafts C model took place at Edwards Air Force Base in California on August 7. The April 9 flight was the 30th and final one for the manta ray-shaped scale-model vehicle, ending what NASA officials have dubbed a productive research project.

We have accomplished our goals of establishing a ground-to-flight database, and proving the low speed controllability of the concept throughout the flight envelope, Fay Collier, manager of the NASA Environmentally Responsible Aviation (ERA) Project, said in a statement. Very quiet and efficient, the hybrid wing body has shown promise for meeting all of NASAs environmental goals for future aircraft designs.

The X-48C, which was built by a UK company known as Cranfield Aerospace Limited, is a modified version of the X-48B blended-wing-body aircraft that was redesigned to evaluate both the low-speed stability and control of a low-noise hybrid-wing-body design.

The new design includes a flattened, tailless fuselage that has the engine mounted atop the rear part of the aircrafts main body a layout inspired by concept studies NASA claims are currently being tested by the ERA Project and could actually be airborne within two decades time.

In most ways, the X-48C retains the dimensions of its predecessor, officials from the space agency said. The vehicles wingspan is slightly over 20 feet and it weighs approximately 500 pounds, but unlike the B-model, the C has been altered to have an airframe noise-shielding configuration.

In addition, the wingtip winglets were relocated from the B to the C. They were moved inboard next to the engine, essentially turning them into twin tails. Furthermore, the aircrafts rear deck was lengthened by about two feet and the Bs three 50-pound thrust jet engines were replaced with a pair of 89-pound thrust engines giving the C an estimated top speed of 140 mph and a maximum altitude of 10,000 feet.

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NASA’s X-48C Advances Cleaner, Quieter Airliner Design