Aurora Flight Sciences, a Boeing company, recently completed stability and control wind tunnel testing for its high-speed vertical take-off and landing (HSVTOL) concept. The test is a milestone in the preliminary design phase of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Speed and Runway Independent Technologies (SPRINT) program.
The SPRINT program aims to design, build, and fly an X-plane that enables a transformational combination of aircraft speed and runway independence. Aurora’s concept uses embedded lift fan technology and a blended wing body design to provide the scalable capability to cruise at 450 KTAS and take-off and land vertically on unprepared surfaces.
The wind tunnel test, completed in March at Boeing’s V/STOL wind tunnel near Philadelphia, used a 20% scale model to collect applicable data for understanding the low-speed handling of the vehicle’s profile, particularly at the transition from vertical to forward flight. The data will be used to validate computer models, feed the program’s flight simulator database, and add to the team’s knowledgebase for full-scale vehicle design.
Larry Wirsing, vice president of aircraft development at Aurora Flight Sciences, said “This SPRINT wind tunnel test has validated our analytical estimates of the performance of the aircraft. With this successful risk reduction testing completed, the program is ready to proceed into detailed design.”
The recent wind tunnel test was the second major test event scheduled for the X-plane’s preliminary design phase.