New drone tests US Air Force's next generation of flight systems

April 17, 2015

Bill Condie

Bill Condie is a science journalist based in Adelaide, Australia.

NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center and the Air Force Research Laboratory, with support from Lockheed Martin, have put into service their second X-56A (dubbed “Buckeye”) unmanned aerial vehicle.

The machine is being used to check aircraft systems and improve aircraft performance.

A recent 20-minute flight marked the beginning of a research effort designed to yield significant advances in flight technology.