DARPA and Aurora Move Closer to First Flight With X-65 CRANE Test Aircraft | Aviation International News

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

DARPA's X-65 CRANE Project Moves Closer To First Flight

Experimental uncrewed aircraft set to evaluate active flow control mid-air

Novel triangular wing being fitted to X-65 fuselage — The aircraft’s wingspan measures 30 feet and the overall weight is 7,000 pounds. © Aurora Flight Sciences

By Charlotte Bailey • News Reporter

June 25, 2026

The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) says its experimental uncrewed X-65 has moved a step closer to its first flight, with its wings manufactured and ready to be assembled with the fuselage. On June 23, project partner Aurora Flight Sciences received the first wing set and has started integrating this with the rest of the aircraft.

The test aircraft—which received its official X-65 designation in 2023—is part of DARPA’s Control of Revolutionary Aircraft with Novel Effectors (CRANE) program, launched in 2020. The wings of this particular aircraft are perhaps its most significant element as they are integral to its core test campaign: exploring how mechanical flight control surfaces can be replaced by blasts of air.

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