X-47B, all ice, no man. The deadliest drone in the US arsenal, a stealth killer. I have seen dozens of photos. Videos too, of its first test and its cruise test. But I’ve never seen it from the top.
It’s a beautiful machine from this angle, with its markings and all the surface detail. If you told me this was a new Imperial fighter for an incoming Star Wars sequel, I would believe you. I’m not surprised people mistook it for a UFO being smuggled across America.
X-47B is a technology demonstrator built by Northrop Grumman for the US Navy, a stealth unmanned combat aerial vehicle with an 18.92m wingspan. It’s capable of operating from an aircraft carrier, using its two bays to deliver 2000kg of weapons to any target as far as 3889km away.
For comparison, the current US Navy’s workhorse, the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet, has a 12.3m wingspan, and it’s capable of carrying two air-to-air AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles as far as 2000km. It can carry more weapons than X-47B — 6214kg — but that would severely cut its range. 1814kg of bombs plus two Sidewinders and two external fuel tanks will only give it a range of 390 nautical miles (722km).
The next version of this drone is called X-47C. When it arrives near the end of the decade it will be even larger — with a whooping 52.4m wingspan. That will make it as big as the B-2 bomber. Theoretically, the X-47C will be able to carry 4500kg of armament. [Defense Tech]
Sky Bolt
Friday, January 27, 2012 at 11:10 PMAll of this may look impressive now, but when Skynet takes over we’re all doomed and it was all our own fault.
Sally
Saturday, January 28, 2012 at 12:56 AMI would love to know how the hell this thing flies, how you keep it in balance without a rudder (or how the computers on board keep it in balance). I can see 4 defined control surfaces, I assume the inner ones are the elevator, and the outer ones are the ailerons.
Interesting plane. :)
Eccentricsoul
Saturday, January 28, 2012 at 10:28 AMThe original flying wings were inherently unstable, which was the cause of many crashes. Since the new batch are all computer assisted they are now more stable and the inherent instability is now a bonus because the wing is now far more maneuverable. These drones also have the added bonus of no human weakness due to G forces and can turn at extreme speeds.
DarthDVD
Saturday, January 28, 2012 at 2:38 PMB2 bomber? or watch the following video.
http://www.youtube.com/user/RCSuperPowers#p/u/91/w75m3rqeZQc
DarthDVD
Saturday, January 28, 2012 at 4:38 PMoops that was ment to be a reply to sally /\ /\ /\
DrW
Sunday, January 29, 2012 at 9:59 AMThe Chinese have probably already cloned it.and building thousands to attack The US….not LOL.
Franz
Sunday, January 29, 2012 at 8:21 PM^They’d be disposable and snap out of a plastic frame, thus gaining the advantage of not needing fuel to make the return trip.
Deed
Monday, January 30, 2012 at 10:29 AMAhh the US, the only country that may legitimately develop and use weapons of mass destruction. According to the US.
TSH
Monday, January 30, 2012 at 1:53 PMWow, that looks cool. “Granddaughter of the B-2″ was my first thought.
a 50m+ wingspan version … unmanned… now that’s ambitious!