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<!-- This article is a part of [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Aircraft]]. Please see [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Aircraft/page content]] for recommended layout. -->
{|{{Infobox Aircraft Begin
|name = X-47B UCAS-D
|image = File:Northrop Grumman X-47B UCAS (Unmanned Combat Air System) (210476231).jpg
|caption = Northrop Grumman X-47B (mockup)
}}{{Infobox Aircraft Type
|type = [[Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle]]
|manufacturer = [[Northrop Grumman]]
|designer = <!--only appropriate for single designers, not project leaders-->
|first flight = February 2003
|introduction = <!--date the aircraft entered or will enter military or revenue service-->
|retired = <!--date the aircraft left military or revenue service. If vague or multiples, it probably should be skipped-->
|status = <!--in most cases, this field is redundant; use it sparingly-->
|primary user = [[United States Navy]]
|more users = <!--limited to three "more users" total; please separate with <br/>-->
|produced = 2003 - January 13, 2006
|number built =
|program cost= <!-- total program cost. -->
|unit cost = <!-- incremental or flyaway cost for military aircraft or retail price for commercial aircraft. -->
|developed from = <!-- the aircraft which formed the basis for the topic type -->
|variants with their own articles = <!-- variants OF the topic type -->
}}
|}

The '''[[Northrop Grumman]] X-47''' is a demonstration [[UCAV|Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle]]. The X-47 began as part of [[Defense Advanced Research Project Agency|DARPA]]'s [[Joint Unmanned Combat Air Systems|J-UCAS]] program, and is now part of the [[United States Navy]]'s UCAS-D program to create a carrier-based unmanned aircraft. Unlike the [[Boeing X-45]], initial Pegasus development was company-funded. The original vehicle carries the designation '''X-47A Pegasus''', while the follow-on naval version is designated '''X-47B'''.

==Design and development==

The US Navy did not commit to practical UCAV efforts until mid-2000, when the service awarded contracts of US$2 million each to [[Boeing]] and [[Northrop Grumman]] for a 15-month concept-exploration program.<ref>[http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=2527 "DARPA And Navy Select Naval UCAV Contractors"], US DoD, 20 June 2000.</ref>

Design considerations for a naval UCAV included dealing with the corrosive salt-water environment, deck handling for launch and recovery, integration with command and control systems, and operation in a carrier's high electromagnetic interference environment. The Navy was also interested in using their UCAVs for reconnaissance missions, penetrating protected airspace to identify targets for the attack waves.

The Navy went on to give Northrop Grumman a contract for a naval UCAV demonstrator with the designation of "X-47A Pegasus", in early 2001. The proof-of-concept X-47A vehicle was built under contract by [[Burt Rutan]]'s [[Scaled Composites]] at the [[Mojave Spaceport]]. The Pegasus demonstrator looks like a simple black arrowhead with no vertical tailplane. It has a leading edge sweep of 55 degrees and a trailing edge sweep of 35 degrees. The demonstrator has retractable tricycle landing gear, with a one-wheel nose gear and dual-wheel main gear, and has six control surfaces, including two elevons and four "inlaids". The inlaids are small flap structures mounted on the top and bottom of the wing forward of the wingtips.

[[Image:X-47A rollout.jpg|thumb|X-47A roll out]]

The X-47A is powered by a single [[Pratt & Whitney Canada]] [[Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15D|JT15D-5C]] small high-bypass turbofan engine with 3,190 [[lbf]] (14.2&nbsp;kN) thrust. This engine is currently in use with operational aircraft such as the [[Aermacchi S-211]] trainer. The engine is mounted on the demonstrator's back, with the inlet on top behind the nose. The inlet duct has a serpentine diffuser to prevent radar reflections off the engine fan. However, to keep costs low, the engine exhaust is a simple cylindrical tailpipe, with no provisions for reducing radar or infrared signature.

The X-47A's airframe is built of composite materials, with construction subcontracted out to Burt Rutan's [[Scaled Composites]] company, which had the expertise and tooling to do the job inexpensively. The airframe basically consists of four main assemblies, split down the middle with two assemblies on top and two on bottom.

The X-47A was rolled out on 30 July 2001 and performed its first flight on 23 February 2003 at the US Naval Air Warfare Center at China Lake, California. The flight test program did not involve weapons delivery, but Pegasus does have two weapons bays, one on each side of the engine, that may be each loaded with a single 500 [[pound (mass)|pound]] (225&nbsp;kg) dummy bomb to simulate operational flight loads. The Pegasus was also used to evaluate technologies for carrier deck landings, though the demonstrator did not have an arrestor hook. Other issues related to carrier operations involve adding deck tie-downs without compromising stealth characteristics, and designing access panels so that they would not be blown around or damaged by strong winds blowing across the carrier deck. The J-UCAS program was terminated in February 2006 following the US military's [[Quadrennial Defense Review]]. The US Air Force and US Navy proceeded with their own UAV programs. The Navy selected Northrop Grumman's X-47B as its unmanned combat air system demonstrator (UCAS-D) program.<ref>[http://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/x47/ X-47 Pegasus Naval Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV-N), USA]. Airforce-Technology.com. Retrieved: 11 June 2009.</ref>

Roll out of the X-47B was at [[Air Force Plant 42]] in [[Palmdale, California]] on December 16, 2008. It is planned to have a three year test program at [[Edwards Air Force Base|Edwards AFB, California]] and [[Naval Air Station Patuxent River|NAS Patuxent River, Maryland]], culminating in sea trials in November 2011. The X-47B carries no weapons, but it has a full-sized weapons bay. It is that same size and weight as an operational vehicle would be, in order to provide realistic testing.<ref>[http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/12/18/x47b_rollout_ceremony/ "US Navy's robot stealth carrier plane unveiled"], The Register, 18 December 2008</ref><ref>[http://www.is.northropgrumman.com/systems/nucasx47b.html "Northrop Grumman Integrated Systems X-47B UCAS overview"], Northrop Grumman Integrated Systems</ref><ref>[http://www.irconnect.com/noc/press/pages/news_releases.html?d=156493 "Photo Release -- Northrop Grumman Reveals First Navy Unmanned Combat Aircraft"], Northrop Grumman news release, Dec. 16, 2008.</ref>

The Operating System used by X-47B is [[VxWorks]].[http://windriver.com/news/press/pr.html?ID=6222]

==Variants==

;X-47A
;X-47B
;X-47C : Proposed larger version with a payload of {{convert|10000|lb|kg|sigfig=2|abbr=on}} and a wingspan of {{convert|172|ft|m|sigfig=3|abbr=on}}.<ref>Sweetman, Bill. [http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_generic.jsp?channel=dti&id=news/DTI-Bomber.xml "Ultra Stealth"]. Aviation Week, May 26, 2008.</ref>

==Specifications==
{{Aero specs missing}}
===X-47A===
{{aircraft specifications
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|plane or copter?=plane
|jet or prop?=jet

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If an item doesn't apply, like capacity, leave it blank. For additional lines, end your alt
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|ref=
|crew=none
|length main= 19 [[foot (length)|ft]] 7 [[inch|in]]
|length alt= 5.95 m
|span main= 19 ft 6 in
|span alt= 5.94 m
|height main= 6 ft 1 in
|height alt= 1.86 m
|area main= <!-- ft² -->
|area alt= <!-- m² -->
|empty weight main= 3,836 [[pound (mass)|lb]]
|empty weight alt= 1,740 kg
|loaded weight main= 4,877 lb
|loaded weight alt= 2,212 kg
|max takeoff weight main= 5,903 lb
|max takeoff weight alt= 2,678 kg
|engine (jet)= [[Pratt & Whitney]] [[Pratt & Whitney JT15D|JT15D-5C]]
|type of jet= turbofan
|number of jets= 1
|thrust main= 3,190 [[pound-force|lb<sub>f</sub>]]
|thrust alt= 14.2 kN
|max speed main= "high subsonic"
|max speed alt=
|cruise speed main= "high subsonic"
|cruise speed alt=
|range main= 1,500+ [[nautical mile|NM]]
|range alt= 2,778+ km
|ceiling main= 40,000+ ft
|ceiling alt= 12,192+ m
|climb rate main= <!-- ft/min -->
|climb rate alt= <!-- m/s -->
|loading main= <!-- lb/ft² -->
|loading alt= <!-- kg/m² -->
|thrust/weight= 0.65
|armament= None (ISR)
}}

===X-47B===

{{aircraft specifications
<!-- if you do not understand how to use this template, please ask at [[Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Aircraft]] -->
<!-- please answer the following questions -->
|plane or copter?=plane
|jet or prop?=jet

<!-- Now, fill out the specs. Please include units where appropriate (main comes first, alt in parentheses).
If an item doesn't apply, like capacity, leave it blank. For additional lines, end your alt
units with )</li> and start a new, fully-formatted line with <li>
-->
|ref=
|crew=none aboard
|length main= 38.2 ft
|length alt= 11.63 m
|span main= 62.1 ft
|span alt= 18.92 m
|height main= 10.4 ft
|height alt= 3.10 m
|area main= <!-- ft² -->
|area alt= <!-- m² -->
|empty weight main= 14,000 lb
|empty weight alt= 6,350.29 kg
|loaded weight main=
|loaded weight alt=
|max takeoff weight main= 44,567 lb
|max takeoff weight alt= 20,215 kg
|engine (jet)= [[Pratt & Whitney]] [[Pratt & Whitney F100|F100-220]]
|type of jet= turbofan
|number of jets= 1
|thrust main=
|thrust alt=
|max speed main= "high subsonic"
|max speed alt=
|cruise speed main= 0.45 mach
|cruise speed alt=
|range main= 2,100+ [[NM]]
|range alt= 3,889+ km
|ceiling main= 40,000 ft
|ceiling alt= 12,190 m
|climb rate main= <!-- ft/min -->
|climb rate alt= <!-- m/s -->
|loading main= <!-- lb/ft² -->
|loading alt= <!-- kg/m² -->
|thrust/weight=
|armament= 2 x [[JDAM]] (905 kg each); Sensors: EO/IR/SAR/GMTI/ESM/IO
}}

==See also==
{{aircontent
|related=<!-- related developments -->
|similar aircraft=<!-- similar or comparable aircraft -->
* [[Boeing X-45]]
* [[MiG Skat]]
|lists=<!-- related lists -->
* [[List of experimental aircraft]]
}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.as.northropgrumman.com/products/nucasx47b/index.html X-47B UCAS page] and [http://www.is.northropgrumman.com/systems/nucasx47b_gallery.html X-47B Media gallery on NorthropGrumman.com]
* [http://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/x47/ X-47 page on AirForce-Technology.com]
* [http://www.darpa.mil/j-ucas/ DARPA J-UCAS page]
* [http://www.air-attack.com/page/28 X-47 Pegasus UCAV-N Factsheet on air-attack.com]
* [http://thefutureofthings.com/pod/6239/x-47b-first-navy-stealth-uav-ready.html X-47B - First Navy Stealth UAV Ready (January 20, 2009)] - [[TFOT]] magazine

{{Grumman aircraft}}
{{X-planes}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:X-47}}
[[Category:Edwards Air Force Base]]
[[Category:Stealth aircraft]]
[[Category:United States experimental aircraft 2000-2009]]
[[Category:United States UAVs]]
[[Category:Scaled Composites]]
[[Category:Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency]]
[[Category:Tailless aircraft]]
[[Category:Northrop Grumman aircraft]]

[[de:Northrop Grumman X-47]]
[[fr:Northrop Grumman X-47 Pegasus]]
[[it:Northrop Grumman X-47 Pegasus]]
[[lt:X-47 Pegasus]]
[[ja:X-47 (航空機)]]
[[no:Northrop Grumman X-47]]
[[pl:Northrop Grumman X-47 Pegasus]]
[[pt:X-47B]]
[[ru:X-47 Pegasus]]
[[zh:X-47 飞马試驗機]]

Revision as of 19:17, 6 December 2009

X-47B UCAS-D
Northrop Grumman X-47B (mockup)
Role Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle
Manufacturer Northrop Grumman
First flight February 2003
Primary user United States Navy
Produced 2003 - January 13, 2006

The Northrop Grumman X-47 is a demonstration Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle. The X-47 began as part of DARPA's J-UCAS program, and is now part of the United States Navy's UCAS-D program to create a carrier-based unmanned aircraft. Unlike the Boeing X-45, initial Pegasus development was company-funded. The original vehicle carries the designation X-47A Pegasus, while the follow-on naval version is designated X-47B.

Design and development

The US Navy did not commit to practical UCAV efforts until mid-2000, when the service awarded contracts of US$2 million each to Boeing and Northrop Grumman for a 15-month concept-exploration program.[1]

Design considerations for a naval UCAV included dealing with the corrosive salt-water environment, deck handling for launch and recovery, integration with command and control systems, and operation in a carrier's high electromagnetic interference environment. The Navy was also interested in using their UCAVs for reconnaissance missions, penetrating protected airspace to identify targets for the attack waves.

The Navy went on to give Northrop Grumman a contract for a naval UCAV demonstrator with the designation of "X-47A Pegasus", in early 2001. The proof-of-concept X-47A vehicle was built under contract by Burt Rutan's Scaled Composites at the Mojave Spaceport. The Pegasus demonstrator looks like a simple black arrowhead with no vertical tailplane. It has a leading edge sweep of 55 degrees and a trailing edge sweep of 35 degrees. The demonstrator has retractable tricycle landing gear, with a one-wheel nose gear and dual-wheel main gear, and has six control surfaces, including two elevons and four "inlaids". The inlaids are small flap structures mounted on the top and bottom of the wing forward of the wingtips.

X-47A roll out

The X-47A is powered by a single Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15D-5C small high-bypass turbofan engine with 3,190 lbf (14.2 kN) thrust. This engine is currently in use with operational aircraft such as the Aermacchi S-211 trainer. The engine is mounted on the demonstrator's back, with the inlet on top behind the nose. The inlet duct has a serpentine diffuser to prevent radar reflections off the engine fan. However, to keep costs low, the engine exhaust is a simple cylindrical tailpipe, with no provisions for reducing radar or infrared signature.

The X-47A's airframe is built of composite materials, with construction subcontracted out to Burt Rutan's Scaled Composites company, which had the expertise and tooling to do the job inexpensively. The airframe basically consists of four main assemblies, split down the middle with two assemblies on top and two on bottom.

The X-47A was rolled out on 30 July 2001 and performed its first flight on 23 February 2003 at the US Naval Air Warfare Center at China Lake, California. The flight test program did not involve weapons delivery, but Pegasus does have two weapons bays, one on each side of the engine, that may be each loaded with a single 500 pound (225 kg) dummy bomb to simulate operational flight loads. The Pegasus was also used to evaluate technologies for carrier deck landings, though the demonstrator did not have an arrestor hook. Other issues related to carrier operations involve adding deck tie-downs without compromising stealth characteristics, and designing access panels so that they would not be blown around or damaged by strong winds blowing across the carrier deck. The J-UCAS program was terminated in February 2006 following the US military's Quadrennial Defense Review. The US Air Force and US Navy proceeded with their own UAV programs. The Navy selected Northrop Grumman's X-47B as its unmanned combat air system demonstrator (UCAS-D) program.[2]

Roll out of the X-47B was at Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, California on December 16, 2008. It is planned to have a three year test program at Edwards AFB, California and NAS Patuxent River, Maryland, culminating in sea trials in November 2011. The X-47B carries no weapons, but it has a full-sized weapons bay. It is that same size and weight as an operational vehicle would be, in order to provide realistic testing.[3][4][5]

The Operating System used by X-47B is VxWorks.[1]

Variants

X-47A
X-47B
X-47C
Proposed larger version with a payload of 10,000 lb (4,500 kg) and a wingspan of 172 ft (52.4 m).[6]

Specifications

This aircraft article is missing some (or all) of its specifications. If you have a source, you can help Wikipedia by adding them.

X-47A

General characteristics

  • Crew: none

Performance

Armament
None (ISR)

X-47B

General characteristics

  • Crew: none aboard

Performance Armament
2 x JDAM (905 kg each); Sensors: EO/IR/SAR/GMTI/ESM/IO

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

Related lists

References

  1. ^ "DARPA And Navy Select Naval UCAV Contractors", US DoD, 20 June 2000.
  2. ^ X-47 Pegasus Naval Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV-N), USA. Airforce-Technology.com. Retrieved: 11 June 2009.
  3. ^ "US Navy's robot stealth carrier plane unveiled", The Register, 18 December 2008
  4. ^ "Northrop Grumman Integrated Systems X-47B UCAS overview", Northrop Grumman Integrated Systems
  5. ^ "Photo Release -- Northrop Grumman Reveals First Navy Unmanned Combat Aircraft", Northrop Grumman news release, Dec. 16, 2008.
  6. ^ Sweetman, Bill. "Ultra Stealth". Aviation Week, May 26, 2008.
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