Boeing X-48B Blended Wing Body Low Speed Vehicle

The Boeing X-48B programme is an example of the ‘Rapid Prototyping’ capability of Cranfield Aerospace. The programme combines: systems, composite air vehicle and avionics design to deliver accurate, flight test data for a large Blended Wing Body, military transport aircraft.

The air vehicle is an 8.5% scale model of the BWB with a wingspan of 6.4 metres and with a maximum take off mass of 180kgs. In addition to scaled geometry, the mass and moment of inertia characteristics are also accurately scaled. Consequently, the dynamic flight characteristics of the model can be extrapolated to give accurate estimates of the corresponding full-scale dynamic behaviour.

Cranfield Aerospace is providing two complete air vehicles together with a ground control station to the Boeing Company. The Cranfield UAV Systems team along with the Boeing Company Phantom Works and NASA teams will commence flight testing later this year following on from the successful wind tunnel testing carried out earlier this year at NASA Langley.

More information can be found on Boeing's Website and FlightGlobal.com.

For further information, please contact Dave Dyer on +44 (0) 1234 754135 or send an email.