Lockheed Falcon Mach 5 unmanned bomber

I have found some images on a previous thread of an unmanned mach 5 bomber concept by Lockheed, Is this aircraft under development or is it just a drawing?


www.abovetopsecret.com...








[edit on 12-12-2005 by Browno]

Dont know any such aircraft that exceeds mach 5 with the name Falcon and related to Lockheed. However there is the F-16 Falcon.

It's just that, a concept.

Shattered OUT...

Its not built by lockheed, nor a concept by lockheed.

Its the FALCON, funded by DARPA. and dont expect to see it before 2020-25.

DARPA FALCON

I think its going to become the B-3...but thats just me.

The USAF want the ability to strike anywhere in the world in under 2 hours. It will have the ability to fly there drop its bombs and leave, and land back where it took off from in the US. The US likes the concept because of the increase in allied countries refusing to have US bases.

Originally posted by Murcielago
Its not built by lockheed, nor a concept by lockheed.

Its the FALCON, funded by DARPA. and dont expect to see it before 2020-25.

DARPA FALCON

I think its going to become the B-3...but thats just me.

Good find Murcielago

Speed + Stealth are the wave of the future if you ask me.

2020-25 for a timescale is interesting. If thats true from what people say they could be testing a craft like this at Area 51 right now. They are often said to be 20-50 years ahead at dreamland then anything the public sees.

A Falcon prototype seems like a good candidate for the infamous Aurora if you ask me.

OK, I've done some research and that was in fact a Lockheed rendering, they recieved 55.2 million for work to be performed on the Hypersonic Technology Vehicle (HTV).

No, This isn't a black project, it's completely a white one. That rendering of the falcon is what its proposed it will eventually look like, as long as funding continues. The concept is all public knowledge, so theres nothing really "black" about it.

The FALCON concept, is more then just a bomber though.

They want a derivitives of this program to be a bomber, and develop bombs that are meneuvarable by gliding...they will be unpowered, and to hit the target at mach 5, this part of the program is called Common Aero Vehicle (CAV) or (X-41). Another is called Small Launch Vehicle (SLV), which will give the AF the ability to launch small sats into space on a short notice, by having a larger aircraft deploy a rocket in the air, and have it launch mid-air up into space, That concept is the easiest and should be operational around 2010.

A drop test has being done with a mock-up 50,000lb booster, launched from a C-17.
Drop Test


Going from site to site this thing is kinda confusing.

They expect the SLV and CAV to both be completed by 2010. and say that the CAV will hold 1,000 pounds of munitions, despite the fact that it will probably be a glider, say that it will enable the US to hit anywhere in the world (from the US) in 2 hours. WHen I read about the HTV, they say it will carry 12,000 pounds of munitions, and be able to strike anywhere in the world (from the US) in 30 minutes!

Anyone out there care to make me un-confused?

If the HTV wont be able to fly until at least 2020, and it will carry CAV's, then why have the CAV's ready by 2010...and saying they will hit there target in 2 hours??? If there gliders how do they plan on getting to there planned sub-orbital height of 115 miles?

Hmmm...

The only thing I can think of is that the CAV will be able to be launched from platforms other then the HyperSoar/FALCON.

Either that, or the technology for the CAV is so much less complex that that there isn't a reason to not have it done by 2010.

Paging Dr intelgurl.....

[edit on 13-12-2005 by American Mad Man]

AMM,
I'm not sure what I can add - our own Zion Mainframe wrote an excellent article on the FALCON program which can be read on his web site, Air-Attack.com.
This is extremely informative and anyone interested in the FALCON program should start their familiarization/research there.

I guess the reason the original poster decided to call it the "Lockheed Falcon" is because Lockheed has been working on DARPA's FALCON program - in particular the hybrid motor - but as someone else pointed out, the only Lockheed Falcon is the F-16. Should this project birth a hypersonic bomber, it is doubtful that it would be called the Falcon" anymore that the F-117 should be called "Have Blue".

The latest news, besides the rocket booster being successfully kicked out of the back of a C-17 is that DARPA and Arnold Engineering Development Center in White Oak, Maryland have built a new hypersonic windtunnel and have been conducting tests on potential FALCON airframes.

Also, let's not forget the "Hyper-"X-43 program (originally LLNL's HyperSoar) which last year actually flew a scramjet powered vehicle at Mach 9 after being taken up on the wing of a B-52 and launched up to speed by a pegasus rocket. Although I don't think the X-43 is actually part of the FALCON project it stands to reason that what is learned with one program will be shared with the other.

As to whether the FALCON concept will be the "B-3"... only time will tell, but I've a feeling that the B-3 will be the result of a blending of the various hypersonic programs DARPA currently has.

There are other routes that the B-3 development could take other than as a hypersonic bomb truck, that is just one item on the USAF's wishlist.

X-43 images...


The X-43 launching, perched on the end of a Pegasus rocket.


The X-43 at speed, in excess of Mach 9.

Originally posted by Browno
... an unmanned mach 5 bomber concept by Lockheed,

Is this aircraft under development or is it just a drawing?



[edit on 12-12-2005 by Browno]

Just this morning, an image was presented of an unmanned aircraft...
its not by Lockheed & its not a Mach 5 bomber, but if your looking for
futuristic aircraft thats piloted by joy-stick at some remote & safe operation center...then this might be of interest,

you will only be able to see the image at
www.raidersnewsupdate.com...
you'll need to scroll down about 1 inch to see the head-on photo of the X-45 aircraft


the article title: "New Wings For Robot Warfare"

*Pharaphrase*~

Boeing displayed its vision of the future of air warfare Tuesday (13-12-05)
a batwing like model of a fighter aircraft that exudes stealth/silent menace.

at yesterdays show, Boeing only presented a plastic lifesize model of what they are gearing up to produce:

Northrop is developing their own X-47, which mirrors Boeings' X-45

> 49' wingspan
> 39' length
> smart bombs under wing-fusilage

click the (READ MORE) box under the image & lead in intro. at above link
and you'll get this page:
www.raidersnewsupdate.com...






[edit on 14-12-2005 by St Udio]

Originally posted by St Udio
Northrop is developing their own X-47, which mirrors Boeings' X-45

The X-45 and X-47 are part of DARPA's Joint Unmanned Combat Air Systems (J-UCAS), and certainly won't be supersonic. Boeing is building the air force J-UCAS version, the X-45C. Northrop is busy with the Naval version, the X-47B.

An important goal of the J-UCAS program is to test and train flying multiple UCAV's with the same ground control station (GCS). More importantly , GCS's will be able to control both types of UCAV's, so it can control both the Boeing X-45 and the Northrop X-47 at the same time. The X-47 will be able to land on a carrier, so the J-UCAS program is also invaluable to GCS pilots, to train carrier landings remotely (which will be a challenge ).

Ultimately, all the lessons learnt from the J-UCAS program will be used for the Falcon program. More info about the Falcon program can be found on my website.

As Intelgurl pointed out the X-43 already flew Mach 9 (9.6 to be exact), and a lot of technology and information will be used for future hypersonic projects, including the Falcon program. (See Boeing.com for more info).


[edit on 12-14-2005 by Zion Mainframe]

Here you go buddy.

Smaller near-term (2010) Falcon undergoes Mach 10 and 14 wind-tunnel tests

The only thing they are working on that only goes Mach 5 is an Air Force/Navy cruise missile called the HyFly (might change name to HyStrike).

But I heard Lockheed wants to build a manned Mach 3-5 bomber. But I dunno if the Air Force wants it.

[edit on 15-12-2005 by NWguy83]

Originally posted by NWguy83
But I heard Lockheed wants to build a manned Mach 3-5 bomber. But I dunno if the Air Force wants it.
[edit on 15-12-2005 by NWguy83]

I think it would be more of a question of "can they afford it" then "if they want it."

The USAF has wanted a Mach 3 bomber for decades now.

Originally posted by American Mad Man

Originally posted by NWguy83
But I heard Lockheed wants to build a manned Mach 3-5 bomber. But I dunno if the Air Force wants it.
[edit on 15-12-2005 by NWguy83]

I think it would be more of a question of "can they afford it" then "if they want it."

The USAF has wanted a Mach 3 bomber for decades now.

Well they aren't sure if they want pilots to carry out a decent percentage of their mission above Mach 3, even if they wear G suites. So the answer to that would be un-manned planes (Lockheed said manned).