Lockheed Martin Polecat
| Polecat | |
|---|---|
| |
| A picture of the Lockheed-Martin Polecat released at the Farnborough Airshow in 2006 | |
| Role | Unmanned aerial vehicle |
| Manufacturer | Lockheed Martin Skunk Works |
| First flight | 2005 |
| Retired | December 18, 2006 |
| Number built | 1 |
| Developed from | Lockheed Martin X-44 (UAV) |
| Developed into | Lockheed Martin RQ-170 Sentinel |
The Lockheed Martin Polecat (company designation P-175) was an unmanned aerial vehicle by Lockheed Martin. It was developed by the company's Advanced Development Programs division in Palmdale, California. "Polecat" is a colloquialism for a skunk, in an apparent reference to the popular "Skunk Works" nickname for the Lockheed Martin's Advanced Development Programs division.
Design and development
Designated P-175, the Polecat was funded internally by Lockheed Martin (as opposed to using United States Government funds) at the beginning of 2005. The prototype was unveiled at the 2006 Farnborough Airshow.[1][2] It was developed over a period of 18 months.[3]
On December 18, 2006, the aircraft crashed due to an "irreversible unintentional failure in the flight termination ground equipment, which caused the aircraft's automatic fail-safe flight termination mode to activate."[4]
Specifications
General characteristics
- Crew: 0
- Capacity: 1,000 lb (450 kg) of weapons or sensors
- Wingspan: 90 ft 0 in (27.44 m)
- Gross weight: 9,000 lb (4,082 kg)
- Powerplant: 2 × Williams FJ44-3E turbofan engines, 3,010 lbf (13.38 kN) thrust each
Performance
- Endurance: 4 hours
- Service ceiling: 65,000 ft (20,000 m)
References
- ^ "Farnborough picture: Lockheed Martin Skunk Works releases picture of secret Polecat UAV." Flight International. July 19, 2006. Retrieved July 12, 2013
- ^ "Aviation Week ShowNews Farnborough Day 4 E-zine." Aviation Week & Space Technology. July 20, 2006.
- ^ Butler, A. "Lockheed Unveils Secret Polecat UAV Design." Aviation Week & Space Technology. July 19, 2006.[dead link]
- ^ Trimble, S. "What Killed the Polecat?." Flightglobal.com. July, 2007.