X-47B Completes First-Ever Carrier-Based Arrested Landing

US Navy ^ | 7/10/13 | NA

[Daus]

USS GEORGE H. W. BUSH, at sea (NNS) --
The X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System (UCAS) demonstrator completed its first-ever carrier-based arrested landing on board USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) off the coast of Virginia July 10.

"By evolving and integrating new technology like the X-47B and the unmanned aircraft to follow, carriers will remain relevant throughout their 50-year lifespan," said Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus.

Today's demonstration was the first time a tailless, unmanned autonomous aircraft landed on a modern aircraft carrier.

This test marks an historic event for naval aviation that Navy leaders believe will impact the way the Navy integrates manned and unmanned aircraft on the carrier flight deck in the future.

In May 2013, the X-47B successfully completed underway carrier deck operations aboard USS George H. W. Bush to include a first-ever catapult launch and nine touch-and-gos.

"We have certainly come a long way in the 102 years since Eugene Ely made the first arrested landing aboard an aircraft carrier. Naval aviators have always been at the forefront of operational and tactical innovation, and today was no exception," said Mabus. "People make unmanned aviation possible and it is people who will provide the fresh thinking and new ideas so crucial to successes like the X-47B program and the unmanned aircraft of the future."

The Navy will continue to update this story as more information from today's demonstration is made available.

[Blueflag]

Ouch - mean comment.

Lost an F-14 engine on approach to the Lincoln IIRC. Yawed too much, stalled one engine, power stalled on single-engine thrust. Ejected into the water. RIO made it out. She didn’t.

[TalBlack]

Lost an F-14 engine on approach to the Lincoln IIRC. Yawed too much, stalled one engine, power stalled on single-engine thrust. Ejected into the water. RIO made it out. She didn’t.

And very possibly if the navy had restricted access to F-14’s to the qualified the thing may never have happened or been handled better; it's hard to say because there is a factor in there that is a wild card.

[Daus]

We need a new warship—drone carriers. Smaller and designed to use them and helicopters.

Make it submersible to boot! :)

[GBA]

Very cool/scary, but I still like the first XB-47 better.
She's a beauty. Must have been an amazing experience.

[Forward the Light Brigade]

Maybe we could use old Boomer Subs—fit them with a flight deck and launcher like the Japanese did in WWII? Fit the drones with pntoons so they can land on water?

[diogenes ghost]

Yup....pilot error causing engine failure, followed by more pilot error. Navy tried to cover up for her, but someone leaked the truth.

Only good thing was the RIO lived through it.

[EveningStar]

Aviation and Aerospace ping

Aviation and Aerospace - The Past, The Present, and The Future

Please ping me to aviation and aerospace articles. Thank you.

If you want added to or removed from this ping list, please contact EveningStar or Paleo Conservative.

[USNBandit]

It seems like a good idea to do smaller carriers, except for two factors. The first is bringing enough aircraft to the fight to simultaneously control the sea space around you and conduct strikes. The second is the speed/response time of a large/long nuclear powered ship. Carriers are amazingly fast, easily the fastest ships in the Navy.

[USNBandit]

How many traps do you have?

[GreyFriar]

no more long flights in the navigator’s hole..

[zot]

True, no navigators and no pilots in the aircraft. Just video-game players in a trailer-house.

[Daus]

Source article has been updated:

During today's testing, the X-47B completed the 35-minute transit from Pax River to the carrier and caught the 3 wire with the aircraft's tailhook. The arrested landing effectively brought the aircraft from approximately 145 knots to stop in less than 350 feet.

Shortly after the initial landing, the aircraft was launched off the ship using the carrier's catapult. The X-47B then proceeded to execute one more arrested landing.

On the third approach to Bush the X-47B aircraft self detected a navigation computer anomaly that required the air vehicle to transit to the assigned shore based divert landing site, Wallops Island Air Field. The X-47B navigated to and landed without incident.

[doorgunner69]

OK,so who it the aircraft handler giving signals to?

Don't thing the robot cares or can see what he is waving his arm about for.

Mebbe got some pimply gen-x/y/z up in PriFli to follow his directions with his Xbox thing?

What is truly autonomous and what is not?

[hattend]

Looks like a tug is parking it on a spot. Arm waver could be directing the tug driver.

[Zuben Elgenubi]

For those of you old enough to remember, his is the first X-47A aircraft, the Pegasus, by Northrop Grumman.

[af_vet_rr]

Imagine war when it is just geeks and their toys bombing the rest of us. The world will be their video game.

You just think our politicians get us into unnecessary wars now. Just wait and see what will happen when nobody on our side has to risk anything other than taxpayer money and a few pissed off voters.

[af_vet_rr]

Pretty much seeing the last or next to last generation of manned aircraft in the F 22, F 35.....

Yep, and it's sounding more and more like they are working on keeping some of the older manned platforms around a little while longer to help cover the full transition to unmanned, thereby skipping the need for manned follow-ups to the F-22 or F-35.

[af_vet_rr]

Maybe we could use old Boomer Subs—fit them with a flight deck and launcher like the Japanese did in WWII? Fit the drones with pntoons so they can land on water?

One of the aviation magazines had a good write-up about that very topic a few years ago, discussing the work that is being done and the ideas the Navy is kicking around. It's very doable depending on the size of the drone, and the range to the targets. It cuts down on the need to control as much airspace/seaspace.

The alternative is smaller aircraft carriers that are still surface ships, but with incredibly low profiles and that are fast. The idea is that if you had smaller and faster surface ships, you could reduce the need for the massive carrier battle groups that stick out like a sore thumb. What if, for the cost of a modern carrier group, you could field 3 smaller groups that were faster and didn't need to control the same amount of seaspace/airspace? It's a helluva lot harder for your enemies to deal with, because you are dividing up and diluting their defending forces.

Of course, the AF/Army view is that because the drones are getting better ranges and increased payloads, do you even need seaborne platforms for aircraft, outside of ferrying Marines around to do their business? Because of that, the Navy will probably be pushing hard for dedicated drone carriers going forward, because drones could make large parts of the Navy irrelevant.

[0.E.O]

OK,so who it the aircraft handler giving signals to?

The tractor driver I assume. It looks like he was about to give the sign to stop which, IIRC, was both hands placed on the helmet. Picture caught him in the middle.

[0.E.O]

And very possibly if the navy had restricted access to F-14’s to the qualified the thing may never have happened or been handled better; it's hard to say because there is a factor in there that is a wild card.

Because after all there has never, ever been a male F-14 nugget pilot put his plane in the drink...