Free Republic

Flight testing is expected to resume as soon as next week at NASA Dryden Flight Research Center on an unusual aircraft shape intended to provide a more efficient means of cargo transport. The X-48B is a prototype scale model of a blended wing body aircraft - described as a cross between a conventional aircraft and a flying wing - believed to offer greater fuel efficiency by providing more lift and better aerodynamics. The aircraft is shaped as an elongated triangle, with a smooth line from the fuselage extending out into the wings. The shape is "a very efficient way of...