NASA’s X-66 truss-braced wing model competes first wind tunnel tests
December 2, 2024
NASA’s sustainable flight demonstrator (SFD) project has passed through a major milestone, with a scale wind tunnel model of its experimental X-66 completing its first round of wind tunnel testing.
A collaboration between NASA and Boeing, the X-66 is the first X-plane specifically designed to help inform net-zero aviation emission goals; aiming to inform a new generation of sustainable single-aisle aircraft. Crucially, it employs a transonic truss-braced wing concept – combining extra-long wings with diagonal stabilising struts – intended to help improve aerodynamic efficiency and reduce fuel burn by up to 30%.
Conducted at NASA’s Langley Research Centre’s 12-foot low-speed wind tunnel, a scale model (with a wingspan of almost six feet) was used to capture measurements of lift and drag over many aerodynamic configurations and flight conditions. Data analysis will subsequently ensure the configuration is ready for the next phase of high-speed wind tunnel testing.
Alongside ongoing wind tunnel research, the construction of a full-scale demonstrator is already underway in Palmdale, California. A modified Boeing MD-90 (flown in from California in 2023) will form the basis of the demonstrator, with Boeing creating a 3D laser scan of the existing airframe to ensure accurate component integration. Ground and flight testing of the full-scale demonstrator is scheduled to begin in 2028.
