NASA X-70 & DARPA X-65

[jemhouston]

https://theaviationist.com/2026/11/05/n ... ctal/#deny

Bad news, SR-71 isn't coming back. Damn it.

[warshipadmin]

specifications for the X-70, saying it is designed to cruise at Mach .75, reach altitudes of up to 45,000 feet, and provide an operational range exceeding about 1,726 miles (1,500 nautical miles). The aircraft’s takeoff weight is 10,000 pounds, of which up to 2,000 pounds are dedicated to experimental payloads that can be accommodated both in internal and external locations.

So, a bizjet

[warshipadmin]

well a funny looking bizjet

[Calder]

specifications for the X-70, saying it is designed to cruise at Mach .75, reach altitudes of up to 45,000 feet, and provide an operational range exceeding about 1,726 miles (1,500 nautical miles). The aircraft’s takeoff weight is 10,000 pounds, of which up to 2,000 pounds are dedicated to experimental payloads that can be accommodated both in internal and external locations.

So, a bizjet

um, I am very confused. The article says high performance, but the numbers above could be achieved by late WWII fighters. Can someone more knowledgeable about this fill me in? It seems like this is more about flight control technology and efficiency than anything else. Like you said this is dead center in the bizjet lane. This seems like a project to improve technology for civilian aircraft and not military.