WASHINGTON, April 12
(Xinhua) -- U.S. space agency NASA
said Friday that its remotely piloted
X-48C hybrid wing-body research aircraft
has completed its eight-month flight
test.
All 30 flights were
conducted at NASA's Dryden Flight
Research Center, a tenant of Edwards
Air Force. The X-48C typically flew
for approximately 30 minutes on most
flights, reaching speeds of up to 225
kilometers per hour and attaining an
altitude of about 3, 000
meters.
"We have accomplished
our goals of establishing a ground-to-
flight database, and proving the low
speed controllability of the concept
throughout the flight envelope," said
Fay Collier, manager of NASA's
Environmentally Responsible Aviation project.
"Very quiet and efficient, the hybrid
wing body has shown promise for
meeting all of NASA's environmental
goals for future aircraft
designs."
The scale-model aircraft,
shaped like a manta ray, was
designed by The Boeing Co., built
by Cranfield Aerospace Limited of the
United Kingdom, and flown in
partnership with NASA.
"It is
bittersweet to see the program come
to an end, but we are proud
of the safe and extremely successful
joint Boeing and NASA flight test
program that we have conducted," said
Heather Maliska, X-48C project manager
at NASA's Dryden Flight Research
Center in California.
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（Editor：LiQian、Ye
Xin）
