X-47B Released

[aREDSKIN]

PALMDALE - Heralded as the future of naval aviation, the X-47B unmanned combat aircraft for the Navy was unveiled Tuesday before an enthusiastic crowd at Northrop Grumman Corp.'s Palmdale facility. With the Stars and Stripes as a backdrop and the strains of "Anchors Away" echoing through the hangar, the men and women who have contributed to its development greeted the cutting-edge aircraft during the afternoon ceremony.

"It stands out as being a very good-looking aircraft," said Scott Winship, Navy Unmanned Combat Air System program manager for Northrop Grumman.

A first for the Navy, the X-47B is intended to demonstrate the capability of an unmanned, stealthy aircraft to operate from a carrier.

Such an aircraft could offer the Navy the ability to provide long-range strike as well as long-endurance missions for surveillance.

"The Navy is looking for what that next generation airplane has got to have in the way of attributes," said Capt. Martin Deppe, Navy UCAS program manager. "A concept like this is certainly a candidate."

An unmanned aircraft can operate for tens of hours longer than a pilot can safely endure, providing a persistent presence over an area of interest.

"If you want persistence, if you want stealth and you want it to be Navy-based, it's going to look a lot like this," Winship said.

"The ultimate goal is for us to be able to project power around the world to help people achieve and maintain freedom," said Congressman Howard P. "Buck" McKeon, whose district includes Northrop Grumman's Palmdale facility.

The X-47B is part of a demonstration program to show how an unmanned vehicle may operate in the demanding and unique environment of an aircraft carrier...............continues at link.




http://www.avpress.com/n/17/1217_s1.hts

[nuposse87]

reminds me of that movie stealth...

[Mad Mike]

reminds me of that movie stealth...

Except this will be under the control of a pilot on board the carrier.

It will be a great tool for dangerous missions where we don't want to risk a pilot.

[Corcaigh]

Except this will be under the control of a pilot on board the carrier.

It will be a great tool for dangerous missions where we don't want to risk a pilot.

And you could operate it at g-forces that would knock a pilot out.

And cut out the weight of the pilot and his seat/ejection system, life-support technology, etc

[nuposse87]

Except this will be under the control of a pilot on board the carrier.

It will be a great tool for dangerous missions where we don't want to risk a pilot.

If its done by a remote signal, what happens if the signal is jammed? Like what if this thing flies over a lightening storm...what I'm getting at is, how reliably should we expect this thing to operate?

[Bang]

Pfah, I had one.
Traded it in for a Camry.
Probably not one of my smarter moves, but the mileage is worth it, and I can actually ride in it

~Bang

[SnyderShrugged]

pretty cool stuff there!

[Stophovr6]

If its done by a remote signal, what happens if the signal is jammed? Like what if this thing flies over a lightening storm...what I'm getting at is, how reliably should we expect this thing to operate?

If the Navy seriously didn't foresee lightning storms being a problem, I'd say our military had bigger worries.

[Corcaigh]

If its done by a remote signal, what happens if the signal is jammed? Like what if this thing flies over a lightening storm...what I'm getting at is, how reliably should we expect this thing to operate?

We've been flying UAVs for years.

[nuposse87]

We've been flying UAVs for years.

ok i'll concede that but...

i have to imagine though, in a dogfight, there has to be something a lot different when your doing it by remote control then in person. Not like we're playing starfox here.

[mjah]

If its done by a remote signal, what happens if the signal is jammed? Like what if this thing flies over a lightening storm...what I'm getting at is, how reliably should we expect this thing to operate?

I'm sure a massive part of the design process revolves around signaling and security.

And if it doesn't, then we're all F-ed because this is the future of air combat.

[Burgundy Burner]

Pfah, I had one.
Traded it in for a Camry.
Probably not one of my smarter moves, but the mileage is worth it, and I can actually ride in it

~Bang

I would've done the same thing with mine, but I lost it. Or it disappeared somehow. Not quite sure what happened to it.

[Corcaigh]

ok i'll concede that but...

i have to imagine though, in a dogfight, there has to be something a lot different when your doing it by remote control then in person. Not like we're playing starfox here.

It would be different but I think the idea is not to get in a 'dogfight'.

[Destino]

ok i'll concede that but...

i have to imagine though, in a dogfight, there has to be something a lot different when your doing it by remote control then in person. Not like we're playing starfox here.

The difference is lag. The same problem online gamers suffer when playing the single player version versus playing against other players on the net. The father a signal has to travel the longer the delay between the order the operator gives it and what the machine does.

The advantage however is that an unmanned plane can have lower weight and designed based on what is needed, not on what the pilot needs. As mentioned earlier the plane can be designed to pull off moves a pilot could not endure.

There is a give or take but just like some gamers get so good at controller thier starfox that 100 avreage gamers couldn't shoot them down... a remote pilot could eventually adapt to the time delay and rule dogfights given a superior vehicle in the fight. As it stands right now however it seems the unmanned vehicles aren't fighter planes.

The problem would be signal jamming IMO. To stick to gaming as an example when you can't beat your buddy at Madden... just knock the controller out of his hand at the right moment. Iraq and Afghanistan may not have the tech to do it... but what about Russia and China? I wonder if they can do something about it?

[mikered30]

X-47B Completes First Carrier-based Launch

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=05e_1368572906