GengisKhant
30th Mar 2006, 05:53
Northrop Grumman Corporation has been selected by the U.S. Department of Defence to design the first-ever supersonic flying wing aircraft that can vary the sweep of its wing for the most efficient flight performance.
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has awarded a contract to Northrop Grummans Integrated Systems sector for the first phase of its Oblique Flying Wing (OFW) program, which aims to design and conduct flight tests of an experimental tailless, supersonic, variable-sweep flying wing. DARPAs goal is to demonstrate that such aircraft are feasible so that similar designs can be considered for future military missions.
The supersonic design envisioned by the OFW program offers potential benefits for missions requiring rapid deployment, long range and long endurance. In theory, an oblique flying wing could maximize its performance in every flight regime: takeoff or landing, high or low altitude, supersonic or subsonic speed.
During the programs first phase, which will conclude in November 2007, Northrop Grumman will conduct technology maturation to reduce the risk of the critical technologies associated with its OFW concepts and develop a preliminary design for the experimental aircraft. The preliminary design effort could be followed by a second phase to finalize the design, then build an experimental aircraft and flight test it. First flight of this "X-plane" is envisioned in 2010 or 2011.
GengisK :ok:
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has awarded a contract to Northrop Grummans Integrated Systems sector for the first phase of its Oblique Flying Wing (OFW) program, which aims to design and conduct flight tests of an experimental tailless, supersonic, variable-sweep flying wing. DARPAs goal is to demonstrate that such aircraft are feasible so that similar designs can be considered for future military missions.
The supersonic design envisioned by the OFW program offers potential benefits for missions requiring rapid deployment, long range and long endurance. In theory, an oblique flying wing could maximize its performance in every flight regime: takeoff or landing, high or low altitude, supersonic or subsonic speed.
During the programs first phase, which will conclude in November 2007, Northrop Grumman will conduct technology maturation to reduce the risk of the critical technologies associated with its OFW concepts and develop a preliminary design for the experimental aircraft. The preliminary design effort could be followed by a second phase to finalize the design, then build an experimental aircraft and flight test it. First flight of this "X-plane" is envisioned in 2010 or 2011.
GengisK :ok: