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Robot Jet Fighter Takes First Flight

Posted by Roblimo on from the look-ma-no-hands dept.

lysdexia writes "The X-47B is a Tailless Flying Robotic Overlord, which requires neither puny human pilot nor extraneous remote control. First flight was 29 minutes, climbing to a height of 5000 ft. Next step: landing on aircraft carrier."

3 of 119 comments (clear)

  1. Not a Jet Fighter by Wyatt+Earp · · Score: 5, Informative

    Nor is it as other websites have called it, a bomber.

    X-47 is pure experimental but does have a weapons bay that could theoretically hold two 1000 pound JDAMs. Were a production plane made out of this it would be an MQ - multi-role (M) unmanned aircraft system (Q) or AQ - attack (A) unmanned aircraft system (Q).

    It doesn't carry nor is it currently designed to carry an M-61 gatling gun, which every current F designated US aircraft has, nor does it have any missile capable hard points.

    And yea, the F-117A is misdesginated too.

    1. Re:Not a Jet Fighter by Wyatt+Earp · · Score: 4, Informative

      F-4 was originally going to be four 20mm cannons, then Sparrow came along and they deleted the single internal cannon.

      Vietnam showed that Sparrow wasn't that effective at long range and Sidewinder had too limited of engagement envelope so by the F-4D in 1967 they carried an external gun pod, and the F-4E had an internal M-61 cannon in '68/69.

      The models Israel got were the F-4E which already had the cannons.

  2. Re:Wrong by shutdown+-p+now · · Score: 3, Informative

    Guns in a modern fighter is a complete waste of money.

    This has been said several times since WW2, and every time they tried to follow up on the idea, they ended up putting the gun back in. AA missiles are not the be-all and end-all.