NASA unveils X-70 Fractal at UP.Summit to test advanced controls
NASA has introduced the X-70 Fractal, a sleek new test plane revealed at the UP.Summit on Wednesday.
This aircraft is all about pushing flight tech forward: it's built to try out advanced control systems and make piloted flights smoother and more adaptable.
NASA is aiming for its first flight in about two years.
X-70 swaps up to 907kg
The X-70 stands out with its modular design, letting researchers swap out up to 907kg of gear between tests (pretty handy for fast-paced experiments).
It can cruise at Mach 0.75, soar up to 45,000 feet, and cover approximately 2778km in a single trip.
As part of NASA's legendary X-plane program (think Bell X-1 and X-15), this project continues a long tradition of aviation breakthroughs.
Laurie Grindle, director of the Aeronautics Division within NASA's Research and Technology Mission Directorate, said, "For decades, NASA Aeronautics has used X-planes to develop technologies that advance aviation."