The X-76 combines the characteristics of a helicopter and a jet
The X-76 is expected to be able to reach speeds in excess of 833 km/h, have a payload of around 454 kg and a target range of 1,852 km.
Launched in 1946 with the Bell X-1, the program X-Plane is a series of aircraft, missiles and rockets built exclusively to develop advanced aerospace technology, not production aircraft.
As explained by , essentially, they are proof-of-concept platforms made in very small numbers that tolerate a higher risk factor than standard aerospace development.
Typically, the numbers assigned to X-planes are sequential, although exceptions are sometimes made for symbolic reasons.
This is the case of X-76named in celebration of the United States’ upcoming 250th birthday in 2026. The aircraft is being built for DARPA’s Speed and Runway Independent Technologies (SPRINT) program and is intended combine the characteristics of a helicopter and a jet.
The Phase 3 flight test program is scheduled for early 2027. The goal is to bridge the gap between helicopters such as the V-22 Osprey and high-performance jets.
It will be an aircraft that can take off and land in bare fields like a helicopter, but that presents the speed and performance of a jet.
This is important because most jets require a runway to operate, while helicopters have very limited flight performance. The X-76 aims to eliminate these limitations and combine the advantages of both.
The best solution, according to DARPA, is to get rid of the rotors when the aircraft switches to high-speed horizontal flight.
The X-76 gets rid of the rotors when the aircraft transitions to high-speed horizontal flight, folding them backwards. Without rotor drag, the X-76 could reach speeds above 833 km/h.
The prototype is expected to carry a payload of about 454 kg and have a target range of 1,852 km.
“We are working to offer the quick boost option and the speed option that life jacketanywhere on the globe, without the need for any runway”, praised the commander Ian Higginsfrom the US Navy, who works as manager of the DARPA SPRINT program, cited by New Atlas.
