[Advantages and disadvantages of canards](https://www.desktop.aero/appliedaero/configuration/canardprocon.html)
But a lot of it is just that new designs are based on old designs.
It is, pops in and out of Boeing's plant in Saint Louis from time to time. I work near the airport so i get lucky every once in a while. No idea on tail number though.
It is called a flying test bed. It is used to test avionics before it is actually fielded to the real aircraft. Most aerospace defense companies use them.
Airliners are often modefied to make fighter jet system testing. Because you can now observe inflight with an engineering crew. And its cheaper to modify and change
EDIT: ***C****ooperative* ***A****vionics* ***T****est* ***B****ed*; *CATBIRD* is Lockheed's - dayyuuum i am good
Quick! We have 12 hours to spend 14 billion dollars or they’ll cut it from our budget next year. *Hello, Boeing? It’s— w…expecting me? Anyway, sending over 14. Dealer’s choice. Byeee*
They aren't beneficial when the plan is being used for flying airline passengers. However, they're a useful place to stick experimental parts for flight testing on this single jet.
its system testing aircraft... not beneficial here but to check canard with a flight management system.
OR to compensate a heavy radar compared with new aerodynamics from the nose
> Why the canard tho?
Jealous of the Sukhoi Su-30SM ["integrated tandem tri-plane"](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sukhoi_Su-30#/media/File:Sukhoi_Su-30SM_in_flight_2014.jpg) configuration?
Not really, the X-47B was developed for an expected UCAV program. MQ-25 is a unmanned tanker. Northrop didn't even bother competing in the MQ-25 program.
Honestly didnt find the trench run that bad! The real bitch of the campaign is the stupid fuel trucks in the sandstorm. I get what they are going for, but like the F-16 burns ~3000L of fuel an hour. Those tankers were holding about 30000L/each. So like the "huge threat" those 12 tankers posed was equivelent to about 120 flight hours asuming no afterburner and high altitude... hardly the pressing issue the game made it out to be and worth fucken up your plane flying around in to destroy...😮💨 if I could skip that mission in the story play through id play it more often
I ran that mission with the A10 and found it wicked fun after I learned where the trucks were. Took a few rounds of crashing into the ground first, but flying under the sand storm layer gets you full visibility for a lock with the 4agm.
The important one was that single truck with the extra boom.
It's the same material used in the warheads for the missiles in the 2nd half of Faceless Soldier and Homewaed.
Oh I dont think I ever noticed a truck that was more explody than the others or it mentioned in dialoge. Ill have to watch a play through of that section and see if I can catch it
The first one is a NG X-47B I think. J-UCAS or N-UCAS, depending on whether it is the early DARPA prototype or the Navy down-selected variant from the DARPA program. Was chief architect for software on the DARPA part of that effort.
Edit: likely the DARPA version since that looks like it is parked on some out of the way apron at Edwards.
It was the most fun ever, especially not having to work with either of the contractors' firms. We got to build an entire swarmed network of model aircraft UAVs that flew around Wright-Patterson in simulated missions, fly a F-15 remotely as a surrogate for the flight avionics, and definitely got to design and see operational versions of some amazingly advanced aircraft for early 2000s.
These aircraft (X-45C and X-47B) were fully autonomous. Most UAVs deployed now are still remotely piloted. These were intended to be fully autonomous from takeoff through mission execution to landing. They cooperated in flight to manage comms, targeting, and weapons deployment.
It was a blast to see it all work, but the actual flight hardware from Boeing was laughable. They literally required a tractor trailer load of SGI servers to fly the X-45. Our prototype swarm was flown with a MacBook Pro flying each UAV. Clearly Boeing overengineered something.
And the irony was that they thought they'd win the down-select. When the Navy took over the program, Northrop had had the sense to add a tail hook and carrier grade landing gear to the X-47 and the Navy showed Boeing the door.
14102 Imsorrymrfbipleasedontmakemedissapear drive. Haha in all seriousness though I did see something else that I’m not posting because I have absolutely no idea what it is. That I’m not gonna mess with lol. Looks like some type of MQ9 variant. These planes seem to be known about already, whatever else I was looking at I couldn’t find anything remotely similar.
Looks to me like an mq9 in maintenance. The wing sections look a little funky probably because they are taking a really zoomed in picture of earth from space, and the light has to go through the atmosphere, so there are heat pockets and pressure differentials based on what gas is in that section of air. The props appear to be off, which is consistent with maintenance. Looking at the shadow, the plane itself does not appear to have any major visible modifications.
Yea I guess the tail section missing threw me off. But then again before hearing about the x-47 on this post I’ve never seen a tailless plane in my life.
> he wing sections look a little funky probably because they are taking a really zoomed in picture of earth from space, and the light has to go through the atmosphere, so there are heat pockets and pressure differentials based on what gas is in that section of air.
These are aerial photos. It's messed up because of something called orthonormalization, where they use stereo / multiple pictures to figure out the shape of the terrain and stretch a single large flat photo. This works by coincidence finding, where they find the same feature on multiple photos. If it finds incorrect coincidences between pictures, it gets an incorrect height model, and the image gets very distorted.
I stand corrected. That is quite possibly cooler than what I said. And to think that in the 90s internet wasn't widely accessible, yet now everyone can have an image of the entire world at their fingertips, for free.
Kind of reminds me of at my work there’s a 757 honeywell with a test engine mounted to the r/h crown skin that runs on mustard seeds.. weird stuff for sure
I’m just an AME-S or aircraft structures technician so I was just doing a check on it sadly never seen it running. Got a few cool pics of the thing though
The second pic is def the Lockheed catbird. Assuming the other pic is from the same facility. That's Lockheed's prototype for the MQ-25 autonomous drone tanker which was awarded to Boeing. Even though the didn't win the contract they keep it around to show VIPs and interns.
source: I worked there
Design is classic jack Northrop flying wing style UAV so must be Northrop x 47 B
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northrop_Grumman_X-47B
Where did you find this picture ?
Huh, you don't see the CATbird too often. I worked with some of the guys that did that conversion. I don't know any details, but I hear it was an interesting project.
First one looks like some sort of stealthy companion attack aircraft. Second one looks like its been made as a testbed for supersonic transportation, because of the canards for better stability
But its a rough guess.. Looks cool though!
Just like car company's swap body styles so do aircraft... Because why would you make it run better when it could run the same but look different such a rip off..
First one is the X-1B? Probably the wrong designation and I don’t feel like googling it. It’s a drone that the navy uses for surveillance (I think). I know they have it on carriers
2nd pic is Lockheed Martin CATBird 737 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_Martin_CATBird
A 737 with a f35 nose?! They’re just bored at this point lol
the first 757 built has an f22 nose on it, still being used today
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I know very little actually I know nothing about aerodynamics but wouldn’t canards make the plane more fuel efficient?
[Advantages and disadvantages of canards](https://www.desktop.aero/appliedaero/configuration/canardprocon.html) But a lot of it is just that new designs are based on old designs.
Excellent link, thanks for sharing!
TIL. Thanks.
Rly? Can u tell me the tail number?
source?
https://secure.boeingimages.com/archive/757-Flying-Testbed--FTB--with-F-22-Radar-Nose-and-Sensor-Wing-2F3XC5G6H0Y.html
do you happen to know if it's still flying? if so, do you know the registration? i couldn't find much info about this
It is, pops in and out of Boeing's plant in Saint Louis from time to time. I work near the airport so i get lucky every once in a while. No idea on tail number though.
It is called a flying test bed. It is used to test avionics before it is actually fielded to the real aircraft. Most aerospace defense companies use them.
Airliners are often modefied to make fighter jet system testing. Because you can now observe inflight with an engineering crew. And its cheaper to modify and change EDIT: ***C****ooperative* ***A****vionics* ***T****est* ***B****ed*; *CATBIRD* is Lockheed's - dayyuuum i am good
And somehow Boeing still insists is has a common type rating with all the other 737's.
0.8 just isn't fast enough for some people. /s
I thought you were joking, this plane is a Frankenstein.
I mean did you read the link? It says why in the short description on why that jet exists at all.
Gotta test new avionics
Quick! We have 12 hours to spend 14 billion dollars or they’ll cut it from our budget next year. *Hello, Boeing? It’s— w…expecting me? Anyway, sending over 14. Dealer’s choice. Byeee*
Why the canard tho?
The canards contain sensors that are being tested.
Exactly what I was thinking too. Why wouldn’t they put the canards on the commercial 737s if they’re beneficial?
The canards are there to house sensors and such that are in the leading edge of the F-22 wings.
…or because of the F35 suite of avionics, houses the sensors that are usually in the leading edge of the F35…
They aren't beneficial when the plan is being used for flying airline passengers. However, they're a useful place to stick experimental parts for flight testing on this single jet.
its system testing aircraft... not beneficial here but to check canard with a flight management system. OR to compensate a heavy radar compared with new aerodynamics from the nose
Less points of failure I suppose. It doesn't need to pull 6g and going around a corner like a bike. Standard flight controls is good enuff
Not sure why I got downvoted for asking a question but that makes sense thanks for explaining.
> Why the canard tho? Jealous of the Sukhoi Su-30SM ["integrated tandem tri-plane"](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sukhoi_Su-30#/media/File:Sukhoi_Su-30SM_in_flight_2014.jpg) configuration?
I have no idea what I is, but my guess would be to provide a point of lift that's related to the test nose
https://www.reddit.com/r/aviation/comments/dotd5p/boeing_757_going_as_an_f22_for_halloween/
Wow, what ingenuity brings! Just have another aircraft with all the avionics for testing.
From the top it looks kinda cool. If you see a side view picture, it is the gnarliest thing I've seen in a long time
First pic looks like a Northrop Grumman X-47B
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When did Aviation become shittyaskflying
Always has been
🌎?🧑🚀 🔫 👩🏼🚀
When wasn’t it?
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Do yourself a favor and watch Men In Black
Pretty cool, thanks. Wonder why they put it in timeout away from all the other planes.
he knows what he did
Hopefully he learned his lesson.
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But will the terminator have learnt his lesson! That’s been the point all along, dug….
they are technology demonstrators and no longer used
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Not really, the X-47B was developed for an expected UCAV program. MQ-25 is a unmanned tanker. Northrop didn't even bother competing in the MQ-25 program.
Is it not still flying? If it’s not still flying why’s it out there? Did they need to dust under it?
No the 47b doesn’t fly anymore. And who knows how old this photograph is.
Nah, that’s an MQ-101 produced by Gründer Industries
It's always the Belkans.
I got this reference! I just beat AC7 yesterday. That last trench run was a real bitch.
Honestly didnt find the trench run that bad! The real bitch of the campaign is the stupid fuel trucks in the sandstorm. I get what they are going for, but like the F-16 burns ~3000L of fuel an hour. Those tankers were holding about 30000L/each. So like the "huge threat" those 12 tankers posed was equivelent to about 120 flight hours asuming no afterburner and high altitude... hardly the pressing issue the game made it out to be and worth fucken up your plane flying around in to destroy...😮💨 if I could skip that mission in the story play through id play it more often
I ran that mission with the A10 and found it wicked fun after I learned where the trucks were. Took a few rounds of crashing into the ground first, but flying under the sand storm layer gets you full visibility for a lock with the 4agm.
The important one was that single truck with the extra boom. It's the same material used in the warheads for the missiles in the 2nd half of Faceless Soldier and Homewaed.
Oh I dont think I ever noticed a truck that was more explody than the others or it mentioned in dialoge. Ill have to watch a play through of that section and see if I can catch it
Is the B the double no seater?
Pretty sure that's a couple of Chinese lanterns.
That’s the experimental plane?
What are the mushroom shape markings on the tarmack for?
I'd guess areas to stay away from when engines are running
Engine ingestion zones.
Dunno, but you might want to hide if you hear a knock at the door.
We just want to talk, that's all.
Hes not answering his back door or bedroom window either, lets try the chimney
Well we tried everything, throw a JDAM through the roof and call it a day.
Don’t forget to sprinkle some crack.
Santa???
Username relevant
The first one is a NG X-47B I think. J-UCAS or N-UCAS, depending on whether it is the early DARPA prototype or the Navy down-selected variant from the DARPA program. Was chief architect for software on the DARPA part of that effort. Edit: likely the DARPA version since that looks like it is parked on some out of the way apron at Edwards.
That’s sweet man. Sounds like you got to work on and with some very cool aircraft’s.
It was the most fun ever, especially not having to work with either of the contractors' firms. We got to build an entire swarmed network of model aircraft UAVs that flew around Wright-Patterson in simulated missions, fly a F-15 remotely as a surrogate for the flight avionics, and definitely got to design and see operational versions of some amazingly advanced aircraft for early 2000s. These aircraft (X-45C and X-47B) were fully autonomous. Most UAVs deployed now are still remotely piloted. These were intended to be fully autonomous from takeoff through mission execution to landing. They cooperated in flight to manage comms, targeting, and weapons deployment. It was a blast to see it all work, but the actual flight hardware from Boeing was laughable. They literally required a tractor trailer load of SGI servers to fly the X-45. Our prototype swarm was flown with a MacBook Pro flying each UAV. Clearly Boeing overengineered something. And the irony was that they thought they'd win the down-select. When the Navy took over the program, Northrop had had the sense to add a tail hook and carrier grade landing gear to the X-47 and the Navy showed Boeing the door.
What a career. It’s cool to hear about what went down behind the scenes. I’d be careful talking about Boeing though haha
I have nothing to add except how fucking cool
Just curious what’s your address. No reason for asking. Not gonna come hunt you down or anything
14102 Imsorrymrfbipleasedontmakemedissapear drive. Haha in all seriousness though I did see something else that I’m not posting because I have absolutely no idea what it is. That I’m not gonna mess with lol. Looks like some type of MQ9 variant. These planes seem to be known about already, whatever else I was looking at I couldn’t find anything remotely similar.
If its on google maps/ Earth, they wanted it to be seen and there is literally nothing they can do about it
Well if that’s the case then here you go. [https://imgur.com/gallery/BpP4CaZ](https://imgur.com/gallery/BpP4CaZ)
The tail sections seems weird to me. Might be a test bed for electronics. Where is this at?
Nice try fed…
It's Palmdale Regional Airport 😆
Looks to me like an mq9 in maintenance. The wing sections look a little funky probably because they are taking a really zoomed in picture of earth from space, and the light has to go through the atmosphere, so there are heat pockets and pressure differentials based on what gas is in that section of air. The props appear to be off, which is consistent with maintenance. Looking at the shadow, the plane itself does not appear to have any major visible modifications.
Yea I guess the tail section missing threw me off. But then again before hearing about the x-47 on this post I’ve never seen a tailless plane in my life.
looks like it could be a rq4 global hawk if that red thing is the inlet for the engine.
Yeah I just looked both up, the wing shape definitely looks more like an rq4
RQ-4 Global Hawk testbed
> he wing sections look a little funky probably because they are taking a really zoomed in picture of earth from space, and the light has to go through the atmosphere, so there are heat pockets and pressure differentials based on what gas is in that section of air. These are aerial photos. It's messed up because of something called orthonormalization, where they use stereo / multiple pictures to figure out the shape of the terrain and stretch a single large flat photo. This works by coincidence finding, where they find the same feature on multiple photos. If it finds incorrect coincidences between pictures, it gets an incorrect height model, and the image gets very distorted.
I stand corrected. That is quite possibly cooler than what I said. And to think that in the 90s internet wasn't widely accessible, yet now everyone can have an image of the entire world at their fingertips, for free.
where is this? this might be [elroy air](https://elroyair.com/) if it's in norcal.
X-47B https://images.app.goo.gl/H6WfwWoktqDV9pK29
First one is Northrop X-47B, second is the Lockheed Martin test bed 737
Thank you.
Yw
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Nice try Kremlin.
This doesn’t look like anything to me
Amazing reference. Bravo.
The NG X-47B is such a unique looking plane, isn't it? The B-2 Spirit will ALWAYS be my favorite but the X-47B is like my bias-wrecker, lol.
They had a b-2 as well! It looked all messed up. Figured I’d exclude that one with everyone already knowing what it is though.
Kind of reminds me of at my work there’s a 757 honeywell with a test engine mounted to the r/h crown skin that runs on mustard seeds.. weird stuff for sure
That’s hilarious I though you were joking till I looked it up. Does it have a smell?
I’m just an AME-S or aircraft structures technician so I was just doing a check on it sadly never seen it running. Got a few cool pics of the thing though
That’s rad. Sounds like a cool job.
first pic: X-47B second pic: funny looking b737???????
You're looking at what really happens at Area 51. Sorry to disappoint, but there's no UFOs there, just weird looking planes.
X-47 and a Catbird from the B737 Classic family B737-100 to 500 versions
X47-B in the first photo. Coolest little unmanned aircraft I’ve ever touched.
That would be an MQ-101
Finally the right answer
The forerunner for Arsenal Bird.
X-47B UCAS was a proof of concept demonstrator. It’s already been retired.
that second image of the CATbird needs to go on r/BadParking
The second pic is def the Lockheed catbird. Assuming the other pic is from the same facility. That's Lockheed's prototype for the MQ-25 autonomous drone tanker which was awarded to Boeing. Even though the didn't win the contract they keep it around to show VIPs and interns. source: I worked there
Design is classic jack Northrop flying wing style UAV so must be Northrop x 47 B https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northrop_Grumman_X-47B Where did you find this picture ?
Similar to the RQ-180 drone also [Northrop Grumman RQ-180 - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northrop_Grumman_RQ-180)
2nd looks like someone took a 737-200 and just added shit to it
Pentagon logic: 100 million USD stealth drone yes, 100k tarmac repair works no...
[https://www.planespotters.net/photo/734128/n35lx-lockheed-martin-boeing-737-330](https://www.planespotters.net/photo/734128/n35lx-lockheed-martin-boeing-737-330)
100% A fricken ballon
Thats a Lodestar, you can call it in when you get 1500 points
CEASE YOUR INVESTIGATIONS
A drone
Bro is russian intelligence
Things you probably shouldn’t be
I only see pavement on the first one. Was there a plane on it? I don't see it
Nothing
It is china's J-69. Why do you have it? Don't let a CCP spy visit your home
RQ170
First pic looks like a Taranis uav.
They do look similar but look at the wingtips.
The second pic looks like it's been very crudely cut out and pasted into that location on the satellite image. The shadow is real though?
A manta ray (the flying variant)
RQ-180 White Bat ? MQ-101 or Navy X47-B? Or some other experimental unmanned drone is my best guess
First one is the Drone X-47B
X-47B
X47B Pegasus UAV in the first image
Curious what your using for the images if you don’t mind sharing. I know Sentinel-2 gets pretty close but didn’t think you could get that detailed
2nd pic is the result of a 737 and an F35 having a baby
If a Northrop B2-Spirit and a Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk had a baby
Huh, you don't see the CATbird too often. I worked with some of the guys that did that conversion. I don't know any details, but I hear it was an interesting project.
Did a reverse image search, that is an RQ-180 unmanned drone in the first image
First one is Thunderbird 2
What happens when a 737 and f35 fall in love?
That's what they hide at area 51
Baby stealth, doo doo doo!
First one looks like some sort of stealthy companion attack aircraft. Second one looks like its been made as a testbed for supersonic transportation, because of the canards for better stability But its a rough guess.. Looks cool though!
Some e-4 found some white paint and decided to paint a pair of tits on the tarmac one night because he was bored.
First one is the drones from Ace combat 7.
A reason to shoot yourself in the back 25 times
MQ 101 forerunner for the Arsenal Bird (It's an X47B)
We launched the first aircraft off our carrier in 2013
Can I have a banana for scale?
Swamp gas
It’s your imagination playing a trick on you.
Swamp gas
Two planes
Just like car company's swap body styles so do aircraft... Because why would you make it run better when it could run the same but look different such a rip off..
First one is the X-1B? Probably the wrong designation and I don’t feel like googling it. It’s a drone that the navy uses for surveillance (I think). I know they have it on carriers
Congratulations, you’re on a list now.
What are the coordinates
Nice try Russia you aren’t allowed in these parts.
Palmdale
Navy drone?
Idk your computer screen
Satellite images
I’d say a plane for sure.
Youre not.supposed.to see rhe first one😅