Boeing to Begin Ground Testing of X-48B Blended Wing Body Concept

Boeing to Begin Ground Testing of X-48B Blended Wing Body Concept

EDWARDS, Calif., Oct. 27, 2006 — In cooperation with NASA and the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, Boeing [NYSE: BA] Phantom Works soon will begin ground testing of its X-48B Blended Wing Body (BWB) concept in preparation for flight testing early next year.

The X-48B ground and flight testing will take place at NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base in California, where two high-fidelity 21-foot wingspan prototypes have been delivered.

The prototypes were produced to explore and validate the structural, aerodynamic and operational advantages of the BWB concept. They were designated the “X-48B” by the U.S. Air Force based on its interest in the design’s potential as a future military aircraft.

“Earlier wind-tunnel testing and the upcoming flight testing are focused on learning more about the BWB’s low-speed flight-control characteristics, especially during takeoffs and landings,” said Norm Princen, Boeing Phantom Works chief engineer for the X-48B program. “Knowing how accurately our models predict these characteristics is an important step in the further development of this concept.”

X-48B Ship 1 completed extensive wind tunnel testing at the Old Dominion University NASA Langley Full-Scale Tunnel this summer before being shipped to NASA Dryden as a backup to Ship 2, which will be used for flight testing early next year.

In preparation for first flight, the X-48B Ship 2 will undergo ground testing to validate its engine- and fuel-system integrity, battery endurance, telemetry link communication, flight-control software, and low- and high-speed taxiing characteristics.

The X-48B’s three turbojet engines will allow the 500-pound, composite-skinned, 21-foot wingspan prototype to fly up to 120 knots and 10,000 feet in altitude during flight testing.

The X-48B research project is led by Phantom Works, Boeing’s advanced R&D unit chartered to provide innovative technology and system solutions to meet future aerospace needs. Cranfield Aerospace, Ltd., in the United Kingdom built the two X-48B prototypes for Phantom Works in accordance with Boeing requirements and specifications. NASA’s participation in the project is focused on fundamental, edge-of-the-envelope flight dynamics and structural concepts of the BWB, while AFRL is focused on the BWB’s potential as a flexible, long-range, high-capacity military aircraft.

If Boeing turns this into a passenger aircraft sometime down the road Airbus might (finally) have a legitimate gripe. On the other hand the company has been working on this since it was McDonnell Douglas so they could argue it’s been done inhouse. Muddy either way you look at it. I wonder how they’d (WTO) would handle it.