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NASA Meatball X-48B Blended Wing Body Photo Collection banner
 
X-48B Blended Wing Body

The chocolate-colored expanse of Rogers Dry Lake frames the sleek lines of the Boeing / NASA X-48B subscale demonstrator during a test flight at Edwards AFB.

 
Photo Number: ED07-0192-08
Photo Date: August 14, 2007
 
Formats: 640x621 JPEG Image (152 KBytes)
1280x1242 JPEG Image (508 KBytes)
3000x2910 JPEG Image (2251 KBytes)
 
Photo
Description:
Boeing Phantom Works' subscale Blended Wing Body technology demonstration aircraft began its initial flight tests from NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. in the summer of 2007. The 8.5 percent dynamically scaled unmanned aircraft, designated the X-48B by the Air Force, is designed to mimic the aerodynamic characteristics of a full-scale large cargo transport aircraft with the same blended wing body shape. The initial flight tests focused on evaluation of the X-48B's low-speed flight characteristics and handling qualities. About 25 flights were planned to gather data in these low-speed flight regimes. Based on the results of the initial flight test series, a second set of flight tests was planned to test the aircraft's low-noise and handling characteristics at transonic speeds.
 
NASA Photo by: Carla Thomas
 
Keywords: Blended Wing Body, X-48B, X-48, subscale demonstrator, initial flight tests, Boeing Phantom Works

 


Last Modified: September 12, 2007
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