Aircraft with a working name X-Airplane The maneuver is distinguished by a new construction principle, which will be achieved not by conventional moving control aircraft, but by Active Flow Control technology. The new AFC technology will provide the aircraft of the future with much higher maneuverability at tactical speeds and higher performance in all flight areas.

One of the principles of using AFC is the controlled release of airflow from the jet engine through special openings in various parts of the aircraft shell. Another method of active flowline control is the use of electrical discharges, which cause electrical discharges to instantly heat the air near the surface of the aircraft, causing it to heat up and change the drag and lift of the airframe.

Aurora Flight Sciences is working on the technology with the University of Arizona. The US Department of Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has funded the early stages of development of the X-Plane experimental hyper-maneuverable aircraft.

According to the plan of the company Aurora Flight Sciences, after the first phase of development, the second phase will begin – detailed engineering and design work to create a full-scale prototype with a wingspan of about 9 meters. The next step in the program planned for 2025 will include testing the prototype at speeds up to Mach 0.7 (about 865 km/h). Two X-Plane concepts were created under CRANE, the overall design of which was tested in a wind tunnel.