X-47B Demonstrates Unmanned Aerial Refueling For The First Time

[JJ_BPK]

We still need the A-10, but Naval CAS is about to change.

From #1 SiL..

What did you do at work?

Well today at Pax River we flew an unmanned X-47B into a refueling pattern and then plugged it in to become the worlds first ever refueling of a autonomous aircraft. (No pilot in the loop). Keep in mind, this baby is the size of a F/A-18 Hornet, it's no small drone. Just another day in front of the computer screen.

While unmanned flight is much safer than manned, still I am sure the tanker operators got the cold sweats watching this robot sneak up on their rear for a drink.

• Take off from a carrier, check
• Land on a carrier, check
• Extra credit, air to air refueling, check

[CSB]

So the aircraft was totally "on it's own" and flew an intercept of the tanker, assumed station, identified the basket , then flew to intercept the basket, hitting it with the refueling probe?

[JJ_BPK]

Originally Posted by CSB

So the aircraft was totally "on it's own" and flew an intercept of the tanker, assumed station, identified the basket , then flew to intercept the basket, hitting it with the refueling probe?

YES,, The X-47b does not hove a kid on the joy stick sitting in a bunker on his/her Lazy-Boy.

You plug the flight plan in, it taxi's, takes off, returns on it's own. On the Carrier a person has to position the craft over the launch gizmo on the deck and around the deck & hanger, because of the close tolerances and proximity to other craft. They use a portable console. (c pic) The deck hand are still working the new paradigm, using the hand signals and stuff as if there was a pilot.

In it's current state, it is a littoral information collector. It has 30++hr hang time and does similar jobs as the EA-18G Growler and E-2c Hawkeye, P-8a Poseidon, & P-3C Orion.

Northrop see it as a 1st pass replacement for some of the non-tactical carrier aircraft.

There is a push by a McCain & a bunch of Senators to make it into an armed craft. I think they just want to spent money. Although,, It would be an easy slide to a weapons version. Northrop has the products already positioned with that mission. The X-47B has a load out similar to the F18 PLUS almost 1 ton, because it does not have PILOT systems & gear.

http://www.northropgrumman.com/Capab...s/default.aspx

[Pete]

Sigh - all those Sci Fy movies had a pilot in the seat of those space fighters - there goes that dream.

Flipping through the net a couple of days ago I saw a story about the F-35 being the last manned fighter we every buy.

[JJ_BPK]

Originally Posted by Pete

Sigh - all those Sci Fy movies had a pilot in the seat of those space fighters - there goes that dream.

Flipping through the net a couple of days ago I saw a story about the F-35 being the last manned fighter we every buy.

IF, it every gets past the start gate??

[CSB]

Thank you for the added information. That's some powerful computing power working in real time.

Could you see the Rebel Alliance briefing the X-wing pilots:

"Sorry Luke Skywalker,
R2D2 isn't riding in the back to help you.
If you are on board at all, you are the passenger, he is the pilot."


(Or should that be "it" is the pilot, since it is equally likely R2D2 is a "she.").

[JJ_BPK]

Originally Posted by CSB

Thank you for the added information. That's some powerful computing power working in real time.

Could you see the Rebel Alliance briefing the X-wing pilots:

"Sorry Luke Skywalker,
R2D2 isn't riding in the back to help you.
If you are on board at all, you are the passenger, he is the pilot."


(Or should that be "it" is the pilot, since it is equally likely R2D2 is a "she.").

As I understand the process. When a plane comes up behind the tanker, there is a little game the pilot and refueling engineer dance to get the link established.

That's a big problem with sifi. It glorifies the technology,, up to a point,, while keeping the screen actors guild employed and happy..

Even the current generation of jet jockeys use "fire-n-forget" autonomous rocket-bots that can target at 2-300 miles.

They are effectively a militarized Fed-X..

Not sure who is playing the parts now, but all the early films were Anthony Daniels (C3PO) and Kenny Baker (R2D2).

[Hand]

Originally Posted by Pete

Flipping through the net a couple of days ago I saw a story about the F-35 being the last manned fighter we every buy.

Or dump millions into and then drop or sell to Israel.

While unmanned aircraft make the hair on the back of my neck stand up, I could see the technology relieving some talented folks from very boring jobs (refueling tankers actually would be a great application).

I once had the privilege of being in the belly of a KC-135. I got to lay in the refueling bubble and then got to watch over the refueling technicians(?) shoulder while he topped off a flight of F-16s. The dance that JJ_BPK mentioned is quite real. The refueling technician and the pilot essentially fly their respective pieces of equipment to a point somewhere in space. I'm not sure if the recipient pilot gets a vector and holds and the boom pilot flies the boom out to him or vice-versa but it is a very delicate dance for sure.

[JJ_BPK]

Originally Posted by Hand

Or dump millions into and then drop or sell to Israel.

While unmanned aircraft make the hair on the back of my neck stand up, I could see the technology relieving some talented folks from very boring jobs (refueling tankers actually would be a great application).

I once had the privilege of being in the belly of a KC-135. I got to lay in the refueling bubble and then got to watch over the refueling technicians(?) shoulder while he topped off a flight of F-16s. The dance that JJ_BPK mentioned is quite real. The refueling technician and the pilot essentially fly their respective pieces of equipment to a point somewhere in space. I'm not sure if the recipient pilot gets a vector and holds and the boom pilot flies the boom out to him or vice-versa but it is a very delicate dance for sure.

As the X-47B can not "see" to the level that a pilot would, I suspect that it flies to a fix point and the re-fueler flies the boom into position. But that's a guess.

When they were doing touch-n-go on the mock-ed up and real flat top, the X-47B never missed the 3rd cable, so it might have more "vision" than is publicized.

There could be a homing beacon in the tip of the boom, or some sort of laser target gizmo..

[PSM]

Originally Posted by JJ_BPK

As the X-47B can not "see" to the level that a pilot would, I suspect that it flies to a fix point and the re-fueler flies the boom into position.

The photo shows it refueling from a drogue system. It just trails and is intercepted.

Pat

[JJ_BPK]

Originally Posted by PSM

The photo shows it refueling from a drogue system. It just trails and is intercepted.

Pat

That's what it looks like, But the comms I've had with #1 SiL had Northrop building something special for the boom. It could be the homing beacon laser gizmo??

[Hand]

Originally Posted by JJ_BPK

As the X-47B can not "see" to the level that a pilot would, I suspect that it flies to a fix point and the re-fueler flies the boom into position. But that's a guess.

When they were doing touch-n-go on the mock-ed up and real flat top, the X-47B never missed the 3rd cable, so it might have more "vision" than is publicized.

There could be a homing beacon in the tip of the boom, or some sort of laser target gizmo..

There has to be something there for it to "see" beyond the flight deck and the slightly darker cable. Yet... wouldnt it be mind blowing to learn that the flight controller could feed the plane the coordinates of a cable on a moving fight deck and the plane would be capable of landing on that exact spot in spite of winds, seas, pitching etc...?

[Guymullins]

Wow. Now, to find an unmanned enemy.

[MtnGoat]

Originally Posted by Brush Okie

Don't worry the techs on the aircraft will be wearing their Star Trek uniforms while watching the feedback from it.

All kidding aside I see this as a good thing for many roles including strategic bombing and recon. If it goes down we loose a piece of gear, no lives lost and no pilot to rescue. If we had to send a team in after sensitive equipment it would change the dynamics as well. I have my doubts about its CAS role but I am sure the higher ups will try to push it for that role as well.

Haha.. Hopefully not a Red Shirt!!

[abc_123]

Originally Posted by Hand

There has to be something there for it to "see" beyond the flight deck and the slightly darker cable. Yet... wouldnt it be mind blowing to learn that the flight controller could feed the plane the coordinates of a cable on a moving fight deck and the plane would be capable of landing on that exact spot in spite of winds, seas, pitching etc...?

I'm sure that they could, but don't think that it would necessarily be required.

I'm sure it can "see" the correct glide-slope (could be optical sensors to call the ball exactly like a pilot would or some other method, or both with a cross-check on the other) and then combine that with data from onboard sensors to adjust for pitch and roll of the deck. I'm sure it can tell where the back of the ship is and given that the wires are at a fixed distance from that, it would be able to place an "x" where it needed to touch down on the deck.

If variations (height above deck, airspeed relative to the deck, position relative to the "x" (located center of deck on top of the 3 wire) are outside parameters then it would automaticall make the decision to bolter.

I guess there wo would be lots of ways to design it to get after the problem.