Was That A UFO Over Edwards AFB?? ('Sure Looked Like One)
It was a heckuva week for Northrop Grumman Corporation and the
Navy as they conducted a successful first flight of the X-47B
Unmanned Combat Air System Demonstration (UCAS-D) aircraft.
The first flight was conducted under hazy skies at Edwards Air
Force Base (AFB), Calif., on Feburary 4th, and began at 1409 PST
and lasted 29 minutes. Northrop Grumman notes that the flight is a
critical first step for the Navy/Northrop Grumman UCAS-D team
toward demonstrating that a tailless, fighter-sized unmanned system
can safely land and take off from the deck of a U.S. aircraft
carrier.
During the flight, the vehicle provided test data that will
contribute to the verification and validation of the X-47B's air
vehicle's guidance and navigation software, and the aerodynamic
control of its tailless design. The successful completion of the
first flight represents the culmination, verification and
certification of pre-flight system data collected and analyzed by
both the Navy and Northrop Grumman. Prior to the flight, the test
team demonstrated airworthiness of the airframe through proof load
testing; propulsion system reliability through accelerated mission
tests; software maturity and reliability through rigorous
simulations; and overall system reliability through low speed and
high speed taxi tests.
"First flight represents the compilation of numerous tests to
validate the airworthiness of the aircraft, and the robustness and
reliability of the software that allows it to operate as an
autonomous system and eventually have the ability to take-off and
land aboard an aircraft carrier," noted Capt. Jaime Engdahl, UCAS-D
program manager, US Navy.
The Navy awarded the UCAS-D prime contract to Northrop Grumman
in August 2007. The six-year contract includes the development of
two X-47B fighter-sized aircraft. The program will demonstrate the
first-ever carrier launches and recoveries by an autonomous,
unmanned aircraft with a low-observable-relevant planform.
Autonomous aerial refueling will also be performed after carrier
integration and at-sea trials. Northrop Grumman's industry team
includes GKN Aerospace, Lockheed Martin, Pratt & Whitney,
Eaton, General Electric, Hamilton Sundstrand, Dell, Honeywell,
Goodrich, Moog, Wind River, Parker Aerospace, and Rockwell
Collins.
USN X-47B
UCAS Specifications
|
Overall Length |
38.2 feet |
Wingspan |
62.1 Feet |
Height |
10.4 feet |
Aircraft Carrier Takeoff Gross Weight |
approximately 44,500 pounds |
Speed |
High subsonic |
PowerPlant |
One Pratt & Whitney F100-220U engine |
Payload Provisions |
4500 pounds, plus allowance for electro-optical, infrared,
radar and electronic support measures sensors |
Autonomous Aerial Refueling Provisions |
US Navy and US Air Force styles
|
The X-47B aircraft will remain at Edwards AFB for flight
envelope expansion before transitioning to Naval Air Station
Patuxent River, Md. later this year. There, the system will undergo
additional tests to validate its readiness to begin testing in the
maritime and carrier environment. In the meantime, the UCAS-D
program is preparing the X-47B for carrier trials in 2013.