(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Air Force Museum: Experimental unmanned aircraft (photo diary) [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.', 'Backgroundurl Avatar_Large', 'Nickname', 'Joined', 'Created_At', 'Story Count', 'N_Stories', 'Comment Count', 'N_Comments', 'Popular Tags'] Date: 2023-02-03 Lockheed Martin X-44A According to the Museum: The X-44A was a low-cost technology demonstrator that led to more sophisticated stealthy unmanned aircraft. Built by the famed Skunk Works, the X-44A successfully tested multiple technologies. Its composite structure airframe was quickly built using advanced manufacturing techniques. The X-44A design refined tailless aircraft aerodynamics and flight controls. The test program also improved Lockheed Martin’s unmanned command and control system. The X-44A first flew in 2001, before other contemporary stealthy, flying wing unmanned aircraft. It also supported other test programs, including a deck-handling demonstration for US Navy carriers. The X-44A was not publicly revealed, however, until 2018. This aircraft has a top speed of 176 mph, an endurance of 1.5 hours, and a range of 230 miles. Boeing X-45A J-UCAS According to the Museum: The pioneering X-45A demonstrated that highly autonomous uninhabited aircraft could be used to attack opposing surface-to-air defenses (called Suppression of Enemy Air Defense or SEAD). Begun by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the program was later managed by the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy. During the test program, the stealthy X-45A accomplished many significant achievements in aviation history. In September 2000, Boeing's "Phantom Works" completed the first of two X-45As, using research from its manned Bird of Prey aircraft. The first X-45A made its first flight in May 2002 and the second vehicle followed in November. In April 2004 an X-45A hit a ground target with an inert, precision-guided weapon. In August 2004 for the first time, one pilot-operator successfully controlled two X-45As in flight. In 2005 the X-45As autonomously flew a pre-planned SEAD mission against simulated Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) systems. The X-45As then used their on-board, decision-making software to avoid a new, unplanned SAM threat. They independently determined which aircraft would attack the new target based upon their position, weapons and fuel. After the pilot-operator at Edwards AFB, Calif., checked the plan created by the UCAS’s software, the X-45As successfully attacked and returned to base. This aircraft has a cruising speed of about 610 mph and a ceiling of 40,000 feet. It has two weapons bays and can carry eight small diameter bombs. NASA/Boeing X-36 According to the Museum: In the mid-1990s, NASA and the Boeing (then McDonnell Douglas) “Phantom Works” built two unmanned X-36 Tailless Fighter Agility Research Aircraft to develop technology for a maneuverable, tailless fighter. The X-36s were about a quarter of the size of a potential future fighter. Though two were built, only the museum’s X-36 actually flew. The first X-36 flight occurred in May 1997, and the flight test program met or exceeded all of the project’s goals -- a remarkable achievement. The next year, the USAF’s Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) used the museum’s X-36 to test its RESTORE (Reconfigurable Control for Tailless Fighter Aircraft) software. AFRL developed this software to save a tailless fighter in case its control system was damaged or malfunctioned. In December 1998, the X-36 made two successful RESTORE flights. The X-36 on display came to the museum in April 2003. The X-36 "cockpit" and forward fuselage areas were autographed by personnel associated with the program before Boeing donated the aircraft to the museum. This aircraft has a top speed of 234 mph and its highest flight is 20,200 feet. More Air Force Museum exhibits Air Force Museum: Some experimental aircraft (photo diary) Air Force Museum: Vertical takeoff aircraft (photo diary) Air Force Museum: Space Gallery Aircraft (photo diary) Air Force Museum: World War II German Planes (photo diary) Air Force Museum: MiGs (photo diary) Air Force Museum: The Valkyrie (photo diary) Air Force Museum: World War I airplanes (photo diary) Air Force Museum: Interwar years bombers (photo diary) [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/2/3/2150329/-Air-Force-Museum-Experimental-unmanned-aircraft-photo-diary Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/