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Northrop Grumman X-47A Pegasus

History of the Northrop Grumman X-47A Pegasus

The X-47A Pegasus Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UCAV) is a stealth technology demonstrator originally privately owned by defense contractor Northrop Grumman. The aircraft was originally a participant in the DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) Joint Unmanned Combat Air Systems (J-UCAS) program, which included the competing Boeing X-45 demonstrator. The J-UCAS scheme existed until its termination in 2006.

Out of this work emerged the United States Navy (USN) UCAS-D program, which reintroduced the X-47A Pegasus as a springboard product for the introduction of the more advanced X-47B carriers - based on the UCAV.

Design work on the aircraft began in 2001 after a Navy contract was awarded. Northrop engineers opted for a tailless diamond-shaped plane without any vertical surfaces. The fuselage is integrated with the main wing unit and has a sweep angle of 55 degrees. The engine was buried in a bulge in the middle, with a shrapnel air intake above the nose of the aircraft for the intake of the single-engine unit. This became the Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15D-5C turbofan with 3,190 pounds of thrust.

The X-47A - as its name suggests - is equipped with a fully functional, fully retractable wheeled tricycle landing gear. Internal bomb bays were incorporated into the design but were never used during testing. The structure involves the use of composite materials.

The X-47A made its maiden flight on February 23, 2003 over China Lake, California.

Dimensions include a length of 27.9 feet, a wingspan of 27.8 feet, and a height of 6 feet. Curb weight is 3,835 lbs and maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) is 5,900 lbs. Known performance specs include a service ceiling of over 40,000 feet and a range of over 1,700 miles.

The X-47A, no longer in active testing, was abandoned by the USN in favor of the promising X-47B, whose program has achieved several public milestones, including takeoff and landing from the carrier deck (USS George H. W. Bush CVN-77).