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otherside: natofirst seen 2020-01-01

DARPA/Aurora X-65 CRANE drone uses active flow control instead of control surfaces

Aurora Flight Sciences is integrating wings on the DARPA X-65 CRANE X-plane, which aims to maneuver using bursts of pressurized air (active flow control effectors) rather than traditional moving flaps/rudders. If proven, this could enable more aerodynamic and stealth-friendly aircraft designs with fewer moving parts and potentially improved resilience and maintenance burden.

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deployment2026-06-23Aurora Flight Sciences begins wing integration for DARPA CRANE X-65 experimental drone
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