Posted on 05/16/2010 7:21:33 PM PDT by ErnstStavroBlofeld
Boeing's sleek fighter-size Phantom Ray stealth jet will make its first flight by year's end. This unmanned airborne system (UAS) is designed for a variety of warfighter roles ranging from reconnaissance and surveillance to aerial refueling, electronic attack and hunter/killer missions.
The 36-foot-long aircraft, which will serve as a test bed for advanced technologies, was rolled out May 10 at the Boeing Defense, Space & Security plant in St. Louis, Missouri. With its 614 mph (0.8 Mach) cruising speed, operating altitude of 40,000 feet and 50-foot wingspan, the 36,5000-pound Phantom Ray advances the state of the art for unmanned aircraft. The bat-shaped flying wing has a combat radius of 1200 nautical miles. Power comes from a General Electric F404-102D engine.
Unlike earlier generation drones serving with the military in hot spots such as Afghanistan, where the aircraft is remotely controlled from the ground by a pilot using a joy stick, the Phantom Ray is capable of completely autonomous operation without the need for anyone to be at the controls, according to Boeing.
It's more fly-by-mouse than fly-by wire. You upload a mission profile to the Phantom Ray's onboard computer and the aircraft runs the entire mission from takeoff through mission and landing without the needs for human intervention or control unless the need arises to make changes in the mission profile.
Once airborne, the Phantom Ray will be a formidable foe. It combines high degree of survivability with a powerful arsenal of new capabilities. Its 4,500 payload can accommodate 2 large Joint Direct Attach Munitions (JDAM) or eight Small Diameter Bombs (SMB).
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Game changer. Imagine 1000 of these in an airspace with this mission profile: “Kill all ground radar and all aircraft moving faster than 200 mph except B52s, B1s, and B2s.”
So much for the enemy’s air defenses. Bomb at will.
Scary stuff.
But it will be effective against camel jockeys. (as would a F86 with a pilot) with a cost savings of millions. But, we have printing press's making money 24/7. Whats a few billion these days.
Beautiful looking aircraft - I wonder what that blue light is?
*If* he can make visual contact (radar won't see it) and *if* he doesn't get out-maneuvered (no pilot means it can pull more G's) and *if* he can get within gun range, because his missiles won't work (radar and IR aren't going to see anything).
Sorry to disagree,, I bet maneuverability was the last thing on the designers list. That was my point. This RC airplane is a missle launching platform only. F86 would eat its lunch in a dog fight. My point was that an old aircraft with a pilot could take it out. Lord only knows what a High tech fighter would do to it.
F86 is faster,, quad 50's.... game over.
Pilot endurance of g forces is somewhere around 9-10. Take out the pilot and you’ve got a plane that can really turn a corner
Wait wait - it was done with 0 contracts and 0 defense department funding - according to local TV in Dallas. If that is true then we are entering a new era.
no argument over that statement,, but the RC airplane still has to overcome high speed stalls, etc. I doubt dog fights were in its design parameters. Camel humpers don't have airplanes.
“Beautiful looking aircraft - I wonder what that blue light is?”
Attention shoppers for a K-Mart Special.
“I bet maneuverability was the last thing on the designers list. “
Implement the evasive maneuver programming and the human pilot is left shaking his head.
Unless he sees the target, it won't matter.
agreed,,, but all of the air battles of WWII were fought by sight alone. It can be done again.
Six 50’s????
Not at 3:30 AM in the fog.
WWII dogfights were done in daylight until radar equipped planes arrived. Their radar would never see this.
These drones are to ensure the enemy never sleeps, not daylight dogfights... which just don’t happen anymore.
There is a thing called black budgets.
Especially after SkyNet becomes self-aware.
Scouts Out! Cavalry Ho!
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