Boeing X48C blended-wing body (BWB) makes its first flight at Edwards AFB.
The X48C is an improvement of the previous X48B, only this time it has two, bigger and more powerful JetCat reactors instead of the original three - and whereas the B model was a true BWB airframe, the C model now has two tilted stabilizers/rudders (à la YF-23) on its tail (probably to dampen the sound of the reactors - last time I checked, the X48 did not suffer from yaw problems). It may be my imagination or merely the way the video was edited, but it felt like the X48C was louder than the X48B, in which case it'd be a step backwards, as one of the X48's areas of interest is producing a quieter aircraft (the reactors are placed on top, so that the airframe can bounce the sound wave upwards).
Hopefully, Boeing and NASA will explore the BWB concept further - this thing could bring serious money savings for the operators, should it ever make it to mass production and mainstream commercial flight (greater lift, less drag = less fuel = smaller expenses). Not to mention that the passenger area should be able to hold more passenger than the usual tubular airframe.
But, well, Boeing is also researching crazy stuff like this, too: