The X-65 Active Flow Control demonstrator continues to make progress, with the fuselage now mated with its wing as the first flight remains planned for 2027.
The assembly of the Active Flow Control (AFC)-enabled 7,000 pound X-65 unmanned X-Plane demonstrator, currently being manufactured by Aurora Flight Sciences (AFS) for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), has taken another step forward. Aurora reported on Jun. 23, 2026, that the aircraft finally received its peculiar triangular wings, as shown by the photos attached to the post on social media.
Part of DARPA’s Control of Revolutionary Aircraft with Novel Effectors (CRANE) program, in the works since 2020 and currently in its Phase 3, the experimental demonstrator replaces traditional control surfaces like ailerons, elevators and rudder with pipes and valves releasing pressurised jets of air.
The unorthodox system is expected to cut the aircraft’s weight, improve aerodynamic efficiency and reduce mechanical complexity. Results from the demonstrator’s flight campaign, planned for 2027, will validate the aeronautical concept and then lead to the AFC-specific systems possibly being incorporated in a full-sized aircraft.
The previous set of images released by Aurora on Feb. 24 and Apr. 2 showed the completed X-65 fuselage after manufacturing at the company’s West Virginia facility and upon delivery of the bare, empty airframe, largely conforming to the concept renditions released so far. The new images show a lot of new details on the AFC-related features on the wings.
The wings have arrived — the next big milestone for X‑65! Built at our WV facility, the triangular wings enable active flow control testing across multiple sweeps. Integration is underway in VA as we push toward first flight for the @DARPA CRANE program. pic.twitter.com/w6jhT7ptzI
— Aurora Flight Sciences (@AuroraFlightSci) June 23, 2026
New pictures
The X-65 airframe can be seen with most of the panels removed, showing that it received the necessary wirings and hardware. This is consistent with Aurora Flight Sciences’ previous statement that it would soon integrate AFC-related components and electronics into the fuselage.
The starboard wing’s roots are visibly installed, while the port wing is almost complete, only missing the outer component with the lower sweep angle, as seen in the concept renditions. The canted tails are also missing, with these surfaces possibly currently being produced and set to be installed over the next few months.
#ICYMI The X-65 fuselage has arrived! Our teams are now integrating electrical, propulsion, and AFC systems into the fuselage in Virginia, while wing and tail manufacturing is advancing in West Virginia. Stay tuned for updates as we progress toward first flight, planned for 2027. pic.twitter.com/uZ4FL0sxRR
— Aurora Flight Sciences (@AuroraFlightSci) April 2, 2026
Aurora previously described the X-65 demonstrator as “purpose-designed for testing and demonstrating active flow control with a 30-ft wingspan and 7000 lb. gross weight.” The aircraft is expected to have a speed of Mach 0.7.
“The AFC system supplies pressurized air to fourteen AFC effectors embedded across all flying surfaces,” further explained the company. Screengrabs of graphic videos showed the AFC effector nozzles on the trailing edges of the wings and the canted tails.
One feature, seen in both the images and the rendition showing a cutaway representation, is an ‘Air Distribution System’, running across the spar that usually has the wing joints.
In our previous report, we had also observed the three flight data probes (pitot tubes) to also be common across all the renderings. The February image of the fuselage’s front view showed three holes on the chine line, which may be the ports for these probes.
As we also reported, the larger opening on the front nose section, going by a 2024 concept video by AFS, will host a heat exchanger, feeding into the front-mounted Auxiliary Power Unit (APU), whose exhaust is exactly on the spine.
In mid-January, Aurora completed the X-65 fuselage at our manufacturing facility in West Virginia. Working with @DARPA, we are building X-65 to demonstrate active flow control. Follow us as we progress toward first flight, currently planned for 2027. pic.twitter.com/V10cldS0Bg
— Aurora Flight Sciences (@AuroraFlightSci) February 24, 2026
Aerodynamic and manufacturing features
Aurora Flight Sciences previously mentioned that the X-65’s “triangular wing design enables testing across multiple wing sweeps and is modular with replaceable outboard wings and swappable AFC effectors to allow for future testing of additional AFC designs.” As shown in the videos previously released by the company, the AFC effector nozzles are on the trailing edges of the front, rear and the canted wing part being activated in various combinations to represent the various wing sweeps.
Aircraft with conventional control surfaces require different types of mechanical or fly-by-wire flight control, each with its own linkage and actuators. The AFC effector nozzles replace these components, but still operate on the same mechanical principles to change the aircraft’s attitude by generating roll, pitch and yaw moments.
The AFC would thus advance flight control systems with a technology which does not require moving surfaces. DARPA had said on Jan. 17, 2023 that the transition from Phase 2 to subsequent phases and the selection of AFS among all the contenders was based on its “innovations across aircraft configurations, autonomous systems, propulsion technologies, and manufacturing processes.”
Aurora and DARPA have not announced the powerplant that has been selected to fly the X-65. The engine will likely also support the feed of air required by the AFC.
