70 Fractal experimental aircraft to test what the future of flying looks like

NASA has unveiled a new experimental aircraft, the X-70 Fractal, to test advanced flight-control systems and develop technologies for future aircraft. The crewed research aircraft was announced, on Wednesday, at the UP.Summit held at NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida.

The agency expects the aircraft to make its first flight under the NASA banner within the next two years.

The X-70 is designed to help NASA study aircraft manoeuvrability using rapidly reconfigurable flight-control technology. The system will allow researchers to test flight manoeuvres that have not previously been demonstrated in crewed aircraft.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said the aircraft would provide a platform to test advanced flight controls and other technologies in actual flight conditions.

“The X-70 Fractal gives NASA a crewed, high-performance platform to test advanced flight-control, maneuverability, and other cutting-edge technologies in real flight,” he said.

Payload capacity

The aircraft can carry up to 2,000 pounds (over 900 kgs) of experimental equipment in internal and external locations. Its modular design will allow NASA teams to replace payloads between experiments, helping researchers conduct different tests using the same aircraft.

This configuration is intended to support a range of research activities and reduce the time needed to prepare the aircraft for successive flight experiments.

Flight specifications

The X-70 has a take-off weight of 10,000 pounds and is designed to cruise at Mach 0.75. It can reach altitudes of up to 45,000 feet and has an operational range of approximately 1,726 miles (1,500 nautical miles). These capabilities will allow NASA to test the aircraft across different flight conditions.

X-plane legacy

The X-70 will join NASA’s experimental X-plane programme, which has supported aviation research for decades. The programme includes the Bell X-1, which first broke the sound barrier in 1947, the X-15 hypersonic research aircraft and the X-59, developed to study quieter supersonic flight.

Laurie Grindle, director of the Aeronautics Division within NASA’s Research and Technology Mission Directorate, said, “For decades, NASA Aeronautics has used X-planes to develop technologies that advance aviation.”

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