NASA Unveils X-70 Experimental Aircraft

NASA unveiled its newest experimental aircraft, the X-70 Fractal, Wednesday during the UP.Summit at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The aircraft is designed to support research into advanced flight-control systems and maneuverability. The announcement follows NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman’s earlier confirmation that the agency was preparing to introduce another X-plane.

Aircraft Capabilities

The X-70 will feature rapidly reconfigurable flight controls that will allow researchers to evaluate different aircraft handling characteristics. It will be designed to accommodate up to 2,000 pounds of experimental equipment through internal and external payload configurations. According to NASA, the aircraft is planned for takeoff weights of 10,000 pounds and will cruise at Mach 0.75, operate at altitudes up to 45,000 feet and cover distances exceeding 1,500 nautical miles.

“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,” Isaacman said in a NASA announcement.

Flight Testing Plans

NASA expects the X-70 to make its first flight under the agency’s banner within the next two years. The aircraft’s modular design will allow researchers to change experimental equipment between flights and conduct multiple types of testing using the same platform. NASA has not provided a detailed flight-test schedule.

The X-70 joins NASA’s experimental aircraft programs alongside the X-59 quiet supersonic demonstrator, which recently completed its first year of flight testing. The X-59 is being used to investigate methods of reducing sonic booms.