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Northrop Grumman X-47B

History of the Northrop Grumman X-47B

After the X-47A "Pegasus" proof-of-concept demonstrator, the X-47B was born as a full-fledged technology demonstration unmanned aerial vehicle (UCAV) intended for use in aircraft carrier operations in the US Navy (USN). The X-47B grew out of the DARPA-led Joint Unmanned Combat Air Systems (J-UCAS) program, which seeks to find a single UAV solution for the needs of the U.S. Army and Navy.

Although the J-UCAS program was ultimately cut by the budget in February 2006, the U.S. Navy stuck to its own UCAV program through the "X-47" program. Boeing and Northrop Grumman signed a contract to develop it, and when the U.S. Navy finally sided with Northrop Grumman, the X-47A was born, and it was a close second.

A smaller (19-foot wingspan) version of the larger X-47B.

The X-47 program began in 2000, after which the Northrop prototype evolved into a finished product in mid-December 2008 at Air Force Base in Palmdale, California. Work on the complex software required for the aircraft continued, and in late December 2009 the aircraft underwent an active drag roll test at Palmdale. In early 2010, the X-47B prototype was able to glide on command under its own power.

The biggest challenge facing Northrop Grumman's engineers is overcoming the corrosive effects of the Aral Sea on the exposed surfaces of aircraft -- a challenge for any water-based design, including surface ships.

As a technology demonstrator, the X-47B became a key part of the US Navy's maritime UCAV requirements. The type is currently being used to evaluate various key components in relation to the program's ultimate goal, where a production-quality aircraft will closely mimic the X-47B's form and function.

For this reason, the X-47B has been deliberately designed as a fully fledged full-scale airframe and production-grade system to simplify overall development and facilitate mass production after approval.

The X-47B is designed with a very defined triangular shape and seems to be gaining popularity among drone engineers around the world. There are no apparent vertical surfaces around the aircraft, making it a "true" flying-wing design in the shape of a Northrop Grumman B-2 "Spirit" stealth bomber. The engines were buried in the fuselage and introduced through shallow ducts along the front spine of the fuselage. The engine ejects through a specially designed port in the rear of the fuselage.

In the absence of a pilot, more interior space can be reserved for special mission equipment, weapons, fuel depots, avionics and subsystems. The landing gear is retractable and consists of two single-wheeled main legs connected by a two-wheeled front leg. As a carrier-based aircraft, the X-47B has several key qualities incorporated into its design, including folding wings for storage, corrosion resistance (to counteract the effects of the Aral Sea), and reinforced landing gear with snap hooks.

Stealth is built into the aircraft design and its operating system. Production quality form eventually deploys two internal gun bays (like the Lockheed F-22 Raptor and Lockheed F-35 Lightning II) that can hold up to 4,500 lbs of guns (most likely guided munitions) .

The X-47B is powered by a Pratt & Whitney F100-220U turbofan engine. This provides a cruising speed of 685 mph and a range of over 2,100 nautical miles. The aircraft is certified to operate on a service ceiling close to 40,000 feet.

Overall dimensions include a 62-foot wingspan, 38-foot barrel length, and 10.4-foot floor height. The foldable wings allow the wingspan to contract to 30.9 feet when folded.

On February 4, 2011, the X-47B was towed from its hangar at Edwards Air Force Base, California, and once decoupled, it glides into place under its own power, then crosses the runway into the sky - It will be the first recorded flight. It received the designation Air Vehicle 1 (AV-1). A month later, engineers were confident enough that the plane would fly with the landing gear fully retracted.

Northrop Grumman testers continue to define the remote control technology needed for routine aircraft function - offshore operations are one of the most extreme conditions for flying in an unstable environment, and engineers are faced with ensuring crew and The challenge of aircraft safety while maintaining optimum operational efficiency. Shipboard deck operations have their own complexities and one of the most dangerous work environments in the world - aircraft taxiing on deck while launching other aircraft while interacting with dangerous fuel lines Shared space with ammo.

The contract with Northrop Grumman requires the drone to perform every mission like a manned aircraftflying safely and operating reliably. The development curve of their engineers is similar to the pioneering problem of the US Navy decades ago, learning the complexities of launching and recovering biplanes on its first aircraft carrier, the USS Langley (CV-1), in 1922.

In January 2012, Northrop Grumman tested equipment that would allow ground crews to manually fly the X-47B along the deck of an aircraft carrier. The tailless X-47B has a wingspan of 62 feet, 17 feet wider than the Navy's Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter. The X-47B has a top speed in the "high subsonic" range and a fuel-free range of 6 hours - over 2,100 nautical miles (3,900 km).

In May 2012, AV-1 began high-intensity EMI testing on the Patuxent River to test its compatibility with electronic warfare (EW) systems (US Navy aircraft carriers are probably the highest-level electromagnetic space on surface ships, Has numerous radars and war systems at work).

The X-47B was lifted by a crane from the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, in December 2012 to begin her shipboard evaluation. The aircraft had to pass compatibility tests, communications systems, movement from hangar to cockpit and all associated aircraft carrier typical missions. Tests have shown that the X-47B is well suited for the carrier role - as well as any manned aircraft currently in service. As of this writing (May 2013), the X-47B is continuing its sea trials, launches and recovery aboard the USS George H.W. Bush.

Northrop Grumman and the U.S. Navy will work on aerial refueling to extend flight time. The U.S.

Navy has spent more than $1 over the past decade. $8 billion on two X-47B prototypes, although the day these drones will replace manned aircraft as we know them is sure to come a blessing for some observers, a blessing for others Saying it is a philosophical question about whether this is allowed to happen at all.

The X-47B has recently achieved some notable program goals: on May 14, 2013, the system became the first UAV to be successfully ejected from the deck of an aircraft carrier (USS George H. W. Bush (CVN-77)) Atlantic). Shortly after launch, the X-47B drone was handed over to a second pilot, who electrically flew it over the Chesapeake Bay to the drone base at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, where it flew.

Land it on a simulated aircraft carrier deck. A mock carrier landing (using snap hooks) was completed on the Patuxent River a few weeks ago on May 4. On May 17, 2013, from its Patuxent River base, the X-47B conducted a series of approaches to the USS George H.W.

Bush, successfully completing a series of "triggered" landings and takeoffs ( i.e. unofficial) landing with a safety rope or launching with a catapult). The touch-and-go process is standard pilot training for all aircraft carriers in the U.S. Navy.

Two X-47B prototypes will be retired at the end of 2013 after completing testing. One example will find permanent residence at the Pensacola Naval Museum (Florida) and another at Naval Air Station Patuxent River (Maryland).

April 2015 - Announcing that the X-47B had completed the first autonomous refueling operation in aviation history using an unmanned aerial vehicle - opening the door to ultra-long-range missions that are not limited by fatigue levels.