On March 19, 2010, NASA and Boeing successfully completed the initial flight testing phase of the X-48B. Fay Collier, manager of the ERA Project in NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate commented on the completion of the first phase of testing saying, “This project is a huge success. Bottom line: the team has proven the ability to fly tailless aircraft to the edge of the low-speed envelope safely.”
Following the installation of a new flight computer in 2010, the X-48B was to continue a new phase of flights tests to investigate controlability aspects. The second phase of flight tests with the X-48B began in September 2010.
The X-48C first flew on August 7, 2012. Engine yaw control was among the aspects to be studied.] The X-48C completed its 8-month flight test program with its 30th flight on 9 April 2013.
The Boeing X-48 is an experimental unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for investigation into the characteristics of blended wing body (BWB) aircraft, a type of flying wing. Boeing designed the X-48 and two examples were built by Cranfield Aerospace in the UK. Boeing began flight testing the X-48B version for NASA in 2007. The X-48B was later modified into the X-48C version. It was flight tested from August 2012 to April 2013. Boeing and NASA plan to develop a larger BWB demonstrator.