Northrop Grumman X-47
Northrop Grumman X-47 | |
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![]() X-47B during air refueling |
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Type: | Experimental combat drone |
Design country: | |
Manufacturer: | |
First flight: |
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Commissioning: |
In flight testing |
Number of pieces: |
3 |
The Northrop Grumman X-47 is an unmanned experimental fighter aircraft that exists in two versions. The first model, the X-47A Pegasus , was developed as part of the DARPA -J-UCAS program and, after its discontinuation, is now part of the UCAS-D program of the United States Navy with the X-47B . The aim of this is to develop a carrier-based unmanned combat aircraft ready for series production. Unlike the competitor Boeing X-45 Spiral , the Northrop Grumman X-47A was only developed with company money.
development
X-47A
The rollout of the X-47A took place on July 30, 2001; it had its first flight on February 23, 2003. There were no bombs dropped during the test program; a dummy of a 225 kg bomb was placed in two internal weapon bays (one on each side of the engine) to simulate the operational combat weight. With the X-47A several problems were investigated when using it in a maritime environment, especially in an aggressive saltwater environment. Furthermore, various ways of reducing the maintenance effort were tried out. After the United States Air Force's J-UCAS program was canceled on January 13, 2006, and after the test program for the X-47A had largely been completed, the company switched to the X-47B.
X-47B
The first X-47B prototype, developed since 2007 on behalf of the US Navy as part of the so-called UCAS-D program, was rolled out on December 16, 2008. In December 2009, taxi tests were carried out on the United, about a year later States Air Force Base 42 (AFP 42) in Palmdale , California . The X-47B completed its maiden flight on February 4, 2011, and a second prototype followed on November 22, 2011. A three-year test program is planned, including at Edwards AFB in California and at Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland .
Although no weapon tests are planned, the X-47B has an internal weapon bay to simulate the closest possible series production. The first land-based catapult launch took place on November 29, 2012. Rolling tests on the USS Harry S. Truman took place on December 9, 2012, followed by the first landing with a fishing system on a simulated flight deck on land on May 4, 2013. The first catapult launch took place on May 14, 2013 from the USS George HW Bush . The first successful carrier landing took place on July 10, 2013 on the same aircraft carrier off the coast of Virginia . On the flight deck of the aircraft carrier, the X-47B is remote-controlled by two ground operators.
Tests for automatic in- flight refueling were simulated between a Learjet and a Boeing 707 ; in April 2015 the first “dry” contacts, connections without the transfer of fuel, took place behind a Boeing 707 from Omega Aerial Refueling Services . The first automatic refueling took place on April 22, 2015, during which 1.8 tons of fuel were transferred from the Boeing 707 to the X-47B. Trial tests in regular carrier service with full flight operations of conventional carrier aircraft should take place in 2014/2015.
Studies are available for an X-47C that could carry a payload of 4500 kg with a span of 52 m. The X-47B is designed to carry two guided bombs like the GBU-31 weighing a maximum of 2000 kg in the two weapon bays.
construction
The X-47A looks like a simple arrowhead with no vertical tail surfaces. At the leading edge of the wing the Pegasus has a sweep of 55 °, at the trailing edge of 35 °. The demonstrator has a retractable nose wheel landing gear . In flight, the stabilization takes place via six control surfaces, two so-called elevons and four inlaids . The inlaids are small flaps on the top and bottom of the wing in front of the wing tips. The X-47B, on the other hand, is a greatly enlarged version of the Pegasus. It has flip-up wing tips as well as further developed stealth features , some of which are already known from the B-2 Spirit . The machine consists almost entirely of composite materials to reduce weight and costs and is manufactured by GKN Aerospace .
Technical specifications
Parameter | X-47A data | X-47B data |
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crew | - | - |
length | 8.50 m | 11.63 m |
span | 8.47 m | 18.93 m (folded 9.40 m) |
height | 1.86 m | 3.10 m |
Empty mass | 1740 kg | k. A. |
Standard takeoff mass | 2212 kg | k. A. |
Max. Takeoff mass | 2678 kg | 20,190 kg |
Top speed | k. A. | high subsonic range |
Service ceiling | 12,192 m | 12,192 m |
Use radius | k. A. | 2770 km |
Transfer range | 2778 km | approx. 6500 km |
Engines | 1 × Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15D - turbofan engine | 1 × Pratt & Whitney F100-220U turbofan engine |
Thrust | 14.2 kN | 65.04 kN |
Max. Gun load | 472 kg | 2045 kg |
Web links
- US Navy aims to have the first combat drone squadron operational by 2025
- "Unmanned Warfare: The Super Drone" - Video on Spiegel Online (2008)
- An X47 at Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, California on Google Maps (accessed April 5, 2014)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Description on history.nasa.gov p. 57 (X-47A). (PDF; 1.2 MB) Retrieved April 19, 2013 .
- ^ Northrop Grumman Reveals First Navy Unmanned Combat Aircraft ( Memento from March 28, 2010 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Flight Global: X-47B begins three-year demonstration with first flight over Edwards. Retrieved June 27, 2011 .
- ↑ Video: First Flight for Navy's Killer Drone Wired , February 5, 2011
- ↑ FlightGlobal: Second X-47B flies. Retrieved November 28, 2011 .
- ↑ Flightglobal: US Navy details X-47B catapult launch test. Retrieved December 3, 2012 .
- ↑ a b Flightglobal: US Navy starts X-47B taxi trials on carrier. Retrieved December 11, 2012 .
- ↑ a b navy.mil: Makes First Arrested Landing at Sea. Retrieved July 11, 2013 .
- ↑ Navy Life: X-47B UCAS Launches the Next Era of Naval Aviation. Retrieved May 15, 2013 .
- ↑ X-47B: Combat drone lands on aircraft carrier for the first time ; in Spiegel-Online from July 11, 2013
- ↑ Beth Stevenson: USN X-47B performs dry air refueling connection. In: Flightglobal.com. April 22, 2015, accessed on April 22, 2015 (English): "The X-47B engaged with the Omega Boeing K-707 tanker over Chesapeake Bay on April 15 after taking off from NAS Patuxent River in Maryland, but no fuel was transferred , according to the US Naval Air Systems Command. "
- ↑ NAVAIR News: Fueled in flight: X-47B first to complete autonomous aerial refueling. Retrieved April 23, 2015 .
- ^ Secret New UAS Shows Stealth, Efficiency Advances
- ↑ gknaerospace.com: GKN Aerospace partnered with US Navy and Northrop Grumman for X-47B First Flight , February 5, 2011