What's up with AX-17 ?, page 1
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reply posted on 30-3-2004 @ 10:20 AM by bios
I scoured the internet for info on the AX-17 and I even called another ATS member who is far more informed on things like this than I am, she (Intelgurl) pointed me in what I believe is the right direction.
She suggested that the AX-17 and the "Switchblade" were one in the same. So after doing more digging this is what I came up with:

The Patent:
In November of 1999 Northrop Grumman patented a "swingwing" airplane with wings that can be swept forward so that the trailing edge of the wing becomes the leading edge and in that configuration the aircraft turns into a delta shape perfect for dashing away at speeds up to Mach 3.
source: Air-Attack.Com

The Sightings:
The Switchblade was at first sighted only near Cannon Air Force Base in New Mexico, at Langley Air Force Base, and Armarillo, Texas.
source: Air-Attack.Com

Bird of Prey Revealed:
Secret aircraft enthusiasts thought that this swing wing stealth aircraft was a project called the "Bird of Prey". (Popular Science, month unknown, 1995) But when it was revealed in October 2002 that the Bird of Prey was a small tailess stealth demonstrator for Boeing then it became obvious that whatever was being sighted and revealed in patents was anything but the Bird of Prey.

A few things to consider:
The Bird of Prey was a Boeing product, the "Switchblade" was a Northrop-Grumman design.
The Bird of Prey was a tailess technology demonstrator that led to the development of the X-45 UCAV, niether the "Switchblade" sightings nor the patent in any way resemble the Bird of Prey.
The Bird of Prey cost $67 million to develop and test, and if there are any AX-17/Switchblades flying around then there is probably a squadron.

One thing that came up in my phone conversation with Intelgurl was that Northrop Grumman seemed to stay busy without many layoffs after the B-2 finished it's production run, and if you want to know more about the AX-17/Switchblade you should follow the money trail at Northrop.

It's something to consider anyway,
.bios

Northrop-Grumman's "Switchblade"
Possibly the AX-17 in question

[img]




[Edited on 30-3-2004 by bios]


reply posted on 30-3-2004 @ 01:08 PM by MarkLuitzen
advanced xperimental
attack xperimental


ax division
www.llnl.gov...
www.llnl.gov...

not finding a lot about it only that some call it the fb119
and some say its entering service in 2018


reply posted on 30-3-2004 @ 02:40 PM by intelgurl
MarkLuitzen,
AX on such an aircraft would indicate "Attack eXperimental"

Nice thread...
In answer to Roniii's comments concerning why have an FB-22 if there is an AX-119...

if I had to guess I'd say that the FB-22 would fill a role between the F-35 and the B-2~

the AX-119 would probably play in the same battlespace that an F-35 would except with greater payload capacity and a high speed, high altitude ingress and egress to and from the target zone.

Judging from the Northrop design's swing-wing forward swept positioning, I would think that the plane is pretty maneuverable at lower speeds and in the delta-winged configuration it can probably light the candle and get the hell out of Dodge pretty quick...

typical "bash 'n dash" attack setup like the F-111 Aardvark...

intelgurl~

PS: I would also like to second what bios said, I really think the AX and the Switchblade are one in the same and that the Boeing Bird of Prey, whether intentionally or not, threw a lot of journalists off the trail of a real and operational secret aircraft.

I don't want to get all conspiracy minded here, but there is enough proof of the Switchblades' existence through circumstantial evidence to win in a court of law.

You have multiple sightings from people who know one aircraft from another, you have legal documents in the form of patents and you have work going on at the Northrop plant even after the B-2's production run was complete.


Gotta get back to work...
~later~
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