X45C to DF-45C

Hi All!

Im a newb here so Ill just ask the following...

Has anyone ever heard of Boeing secretly building the X-45C and fielding it for the USAF? I heard a rumour (as usual) from a friend that they think they built a squadron or two at Groom Lake. Not sure on that though.

Anyways my friend went on to say that they spent 1.2 billion on the project and that each drone fighter could be built for less than $30 million each. He also informed me that the B-3 blended wing bomber is just an outgrowth of the DF-45C.

Has anyone heard anything about any of this? I heard they cancelled the program but the B-3 program got alot of funding and I also heard that the X-45A's are being sent to museams in DC and in Ohio...

Any rumours like mine out here?


CJ

Originally posted by xcrazyjesterx
Hi All!

Im a newb here so Ill just ask the following...

Has anyone ever heard of Boeing secretly building the X-45C and fielding it for the USAF?

Yes, there are rumors like that floating around the industry... totally unsubstantiated though.

Anyways my friend went on to say that they spent 1.2 billion on the project and that each drone fighter could be built for less than $30 million each. He also informed me that the B-3 blended wing bomber is just an outgrowth of the DF-45C.

The Boeing 45 series are bombers of course, not fighters, but then again so is the F-117. Also, I don't think the Boeing BWB concept (Blended Wing Body) has been seriously considered for the long range "interim bomber" or "regional bomber" of target date 2018. There are better choices that fit the QDR's requirements set by the LRS project management team.

Boeing continues to develop the BWB concept and there should be a flight test coming up shortly of a scale model. But if I'm not mistakened, Boeing management, specifically Mr. Koopersmith of Boeing's Advanced Systems while throwing the BWB into the ring for the 2018 bomber - more realistically sees the concept as an advanced LO transport.

Regarding your statement that the BWB is an outgrowth of the X-45, you are correct - as there is no doubt that the lessons learned from the X-45 project are to be used on the BWB, just as the lessons learned from the Bird of Prey were used in the design of the X-45.

I heard they cancelled the program but the B-3 program got alot of funding and I also heard that the X-45A's are being sent to museams in DC and in Ohio...

Yes, the X-45A's are going to museums. The Smithsonian is going to hang theirs from the rafters among other UAV's. The X-45A going to Wright Patterson's Air Force Museum will be right next to the B-2 exhibit.
Regarding the B-3 nomenclature, it is my understanding that that designation is being reserved for the true "next generation" bomber scheduled to come out in 2035. At least that's my take on it -

So, the US militery UAV project has been terminated? What's the prosess and results of X-47?

The USN has taken over much of the J-UCAS activity and is about to make a decision between the X-47B and X-45C (or at least I think it’s still the C) as to which will carry on demonstration activity for them.

Originally posted by Mike_A
The USN has taken over much of the J-UCAS activity and is about to make a decision between the X-47B and X-45C (or at least I think it’s still the C) as to which will carry on demonstration activity for them.

really?
Cause as far as I know the X-45C is dead in the water.
The AF pulled out of the joint project, But the Navy wants its unmanned bomber, so there still funding the X-47B.

Originally posted by Murcielago

Originally posted by Mike_A
The USN has taken over much of the J-UCAS activity and is about to make a decision between the X-47B and X-45C (or at least I think it’s still the C) as to which will carry on demonstration activity for them.

really?
Cause as far as I know the X-45C is dead in the water.
The AF pulled out of the joint project, But the Navy wants its unmanned bomber, so there still funding the X-47B.

It's now called the "N-UCAS" program.
The X-45C is still in the running against the X-47B but honestly it doesn't stand a chance since the X-47's software was developed for carrier landings and the X-45 has yet to achieve even a simmed carrier landing.



[edit on 10-30-2006 by intelgurl]

True, plus the X-47B is overall the more capable and the design seems much better suited to carrier operations. However something must be said of the fact that the X-45A did demonstrate a lot in the way of general flight, operations and combat capability which the X-47A did not and as with the X-45 and carrier operations I don’t believe it was simulated either. I agree the X-47 is the fav but I wouldn’t say it’s all that clear cut.

Exactly how far did Boeing get with the X-46 by the way?

Originally posted by Mike_A
Exactly how far did Boeing get with the X-46 by the way?

Not so far. Initial design studies, funded with 2 million contract from DARPA and U.S. Navy. After that X-46 merged with USAF X-45B to become join X-45C universal platform.

Originally posted by Mike_A
However something must be said of the fact that the X-45A did demonstrate a lot in the way of general flight, operations and combat capability which the X-47A did not and as with the X-45 and carrier operations I don’t believe it was simulated either.

Northrop-Grumman successfully tested their autonomous GPS based carrier landing software and hardware using an F-18 that was manned but had the pilots in "hands off" position, in much the same fashion as the recent autonomous airborne refueling that was successfully tested a few weeks ago also with an F-18.

So yes, the autonomous carrier landing module is good to go on the X-47, the Boeing X-45 on the other hand has conducted actual inert bomb drops and has flown in formation with other unmanned aircraft as well as manned.

I think if you ask the engineers of these seperate programs what the greatest technological challenge for a Naval UAV is - they would all tell you it's the carrier landing aspects, and NGC took care of that first. The ability to drop bombs, fly formation, etc is far less a mountain to climb.

The NGC X-47 management team has been catering more to the Navy's needs and suggestions all along rather than the Air Forces. That is why the carrier landing capability was made viable so early in the development and why the X-47 stands such a good chance at winning the N-UCAS contract.



[edit on 10-30-2006 by intelgurl]

I wasn’t aware of the F-18 tests, interesting. Still I wouldn’t want to discount the X-45C just yet. Do you know when to expect a decision?