Aerospace

Aurora Flight Sciences Unveils Innovative X-Plane Design

Aurora Flight Sciences, a Boeing company, has recently completed the conceptual design review for a groundbreaking high-speed, vertical lift X-plane.

This aircraft, part of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) program called Speed and Runway Independent Technologies (SPRINT), aims to demonstrate key technologies and integrated concepts that combine high speed with runway independence.

Aurora’s design features a low-drag, fan-in-wing demonstrator integrated into a blended wing body platform. This innovative approach merges the agility of vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) with exceptional speed capabilities.

The team is focused on ensuring the program’s success by setting the stage for successful flight demonstrations, showcasing a transformative capability for air mobility and Special Operations Forces (SOF) missions.

New renderings of the fan-in-wing (FIW) demonstrator show three lift fans, a more refined composite exterior, and an uncrewed cockpit. The decision to use three lift fans simplifies the demonstrator, streamlining its path to flight testing. This FIW technology can be scaled to incorporate four or more lift fans to meet future aircraft requirements, potentially leading to a new family of systems.

Additionally, while the current demonstrator is uncrewed to facilitate testing and reduce risk, the FIW technology is fully adaptable to crewed aircraft. Aurora’s concept is designed to meet or exceed DARPA’s challenging program objectives. The blended wing body platform is capable of a 450-knot cruise speed, and the embedded lift fans with integrated covers enable a smooth transition from vertical to horizontal flight.

The design also utilizes existing engine solutions, reducing development risks and timelines. Besides VTOL, the aircraft can perform short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL), super short take-off and landing (SSTOL), and conventional take-off and landing.

Aerospace

Boeing’s Aurora Flight Sciences Expands Columbus Plant by 50,000 Sqft

Credit:Aurora Flight Sciences

Aurora Flight Sciences, a subsidiary of Boeing, has launched a significant expansion of its manufacturing facility near the Golden Triangle Regional Airport in Columbus, Mississippi.

This ambitious project will add 50,000 square feet of new space, renovate 40,000 square feet of the existing facility, and introduce advanced automation equipment, robotics, and non-destructive inspection technologies. mcas boeing enhancements will support the growing demand for Aurora’s aerospace systems business.

Since its establishment, Aurora Mississippi has specialized in the production of advanced composite components and assemblies for both military and commercial aircraft. The company first opened in 2005 at Mississippi State University’s Raspet Flight Research Laboratory in Starkville before relocating to its current site in Columbus two years later.

Initially occupying 21,000 square feet, the facility has since grown to encompass over 120,000 square feet, featuring cutting-edge manufacturing technologies such as automated fiber placement. Aurora’s latest expansion is a strategic investment aimed at increasing production capacity for composite components like boeing titanium used in executive jets and the MQ-25TM Stingray composite skins, a key project for its parent company, Boeing.

Additionally, the facility will produce components for NASA’s X-66 sustainable flight demonstrator aircraft, further diversifying its portfolio. Currently employing around 100 full-time staff in Mississippi, Aurora plans to hire more than 60 additional team members by the end of 2025.

Aurora’s expansion project underscores its commitment to Mississippi’s growing aerospace and advanced manufacturing sector. The company maintains strong partnerships with Mississippi State University (MSU) and East Mississippi Community College (EMCC), contributing to research, higher education, and workforce development in advanced manufacturing.

Additionally, Aurora actively supports local K-12 STEM education through summer camps and collaborates with high school vocational education programs. The expansion and renovation project will be carried out in phases over the next two years, with completion expected by 2026. This development marks a significant milestone in Aurora’s ongoing growth and its role in advancing aerospace manufacturing in Mississippi.