Lockheed Martin P-175
| Lockheed Martin P-175 Polecat | |
|---|---|
| Type: | Stealth caps - drone |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
2005 or 2006 |
| Commissioning: |
Flight tests canceled in 2006 |
| Production time: |
Was never mass-produced |
| Number of pieces: |
1 |
The Lockheed Martin P-175 Polecat was an unmanned stealth drone developed and built by the Lockheed Advanced Development Projects Unit , better known as the Skunk Works . With Polecat is in English next to the Iltis and the Skunk referred.
The development of the Polecat probably began at the beginning of 2005, possibly parallel to the RQ-170 Sentinel , as various technical similarities can be identified. The P-175 is a flying wing whose Williams FJ44-E3 engines are built into the airframe. Similar to the B-2 Spirit , the air inlets are located on the top of the fuselage.
Lockheed confirmed the existence of the machine at the Farnborough International Airshow 2006 and published the only officially known photo of the machine to date. On December 18, 2006, the prototype crashed, ending the program early.
It is unclear whether the Polecat was a reconnaissance or combat drone. Due to the lack of a military classification, it is also possible that the P-175 was just a technology demonstrator.
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Data |
|---|---|
| length | k. A. |
| span | 27.44 m |
| height | k. A. |
| Empty mass | k. A. |
| Max. Takeoff mass | 4090 kg |
| payload | 450 kg |
| Top speed | k. A. |
| Service ceiling | 19,817 m |
| Range | k. A. |
| Max. Flight duration | approx. 4 h |
| Engines | two Williams FJ44-E3 - turbofan engines , each with 13.38 kN thrust |
Individual evidence
- ↑ Flightglobal: Lockheed Martin Skunk Works releases picture of secret Polecat UAV , message from July 19, 2006