Northrop Completes First Flight of Its Model 437 | Aero-News Network
Aero-News Network
RSS icon RSS feed
podcast icon MP3 podcast
Subscribe Aero-News e-mail Newsletter Subscribe

Airborne Unlimited -- Most Recent Daily Episodes

Episode Date

Airborne-Monday

Airborne-Tuesday

Airborne-Wednesday Airborne-Thursday

Airborne-Friday

Airborne On YouTube

Airborne-Unlimited-07.07.25

Airborne-NextGen-07.08.25

AirborneUnlimited-06.25.25

Airborne-AffordableFlyers-06.26.25

AirborneUnlimited-06.27.25

Thu, Sep 05, 2024

Northrop Completes First Flight of Its Model 437

Company Toots Their Own Horn After Successful Test

Northrop Grumman announced that their Model 437, or “Vanguard,” completed its first flight on August 29 out of their plant in Palmdale, California. The company took this opportunity to show off its ‘digital ecosystem’ capabilities put to work.

Model 437 is a technology demonstrator flown by the company's subsidiary, Scaled Composites. Its concept was first launched three years ago as a solution to the U.S. Air Force’s “Loyal Wingman” program, which was later renamed Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), and as a possible U.K. F-35 escort. The company’s flight announcement, however, made no mention of the CCA or the aircraft’s future role in the project.

The aircraft was based on Scaled Composites' earlier design, the Model 401 Sierra. It is a “crewed variant of the original concept,” Northrop clarified, and is “powered by a single Pratt & Whitney 535 engine with approximately 3,400 pounds of thrust.” Its payload maxes out at 2,000 pounds with two AIM-120 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAMs), carrying speeds up to Mach 0.85.

Questions have been raised as to why Northrop chose to fly Model 437 crewed. The company omitted the explanation, but it is possible that the pilot was a hands-off supervisor to only be used during flight tests.

The recent project “demonstrated how the company’s fully digital engineering ecosystem reduces engineering rework, accelerates schedule and reduces costs,” Northrop stated. Their digital ecosystem works to fully connect the company with its customers and suppliers to streamline connections during new programs, offering time and cost efficiency.

Scaled later released a statement of their own on the Model 437, commenting that it “leveraged extensive experience in rapid design, fabrication, and test of experimental aircraft” in an overall “uneventful” first flight.

FMI: www.northropgrumman.com, www.scaled.com

Advertisement

More News

Airborne 06.30.25: US v ADS-B Misuse, NatÂ’l STOL Fire, Volocopter Resumes

Also: Netherlands Donates 18 F16s, 2 737s Collide On Ramp, E-7 Wedgetail Cut, AgEagle's 100th In S Korea The Pilot and Aircraft Privacy Act was introduced in the House by Represent>[...]

Aero-News: Quote of the Day (07.06.25)

“This delivery represents more than just a milestone. It symbolizes our shared commitment to national security and our unwavering support for the men and women who serve on t>[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (07.06.25)

Aero Linx: Vintage Wings of Canada Foundation Vintage Wings of Canada is a not-for-profit, charitable organization with a collection of historically significant aircraft and is run>[...]

Classic Aero-TV: Portrait of the Army Aviation Heritage Foundation

From 2023 (YouTube Edition): To Preserve and Teach Incorporated as a non-profit domestic corporation in June 1997, the Army Aviation Heritage Foundation (AAHF) is a one-of-a-kind, >[...]

Airborne-NextGen 07.01.25: Volocopter Returns, B23 Energic, Iran Tech In UAVs?

Also: Air Taxis May Be Close, AgEagle Sells 100th, VAI Likes Bedford, AURA AERO Cleans Up Volocopter has resumed work towards the certification of its VoloCity eVTOL, this time und>[...]

blog comments powered by Disqus



Advertisement

Advertisement

Podcasts

Advertisement

© 2007 - 2025 Web Development & Design by Pauli Systems, LC