Second X-47 Flown

Posted 22 November 2011

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The first flight of the second X-47B demonstrator was successfully carried out at at Edwards AFB, California, on 22 November 2011. The tailless, autonomous aircraft, called Air Vehicle 2, or AV-2, took off, climbed to an altitude of 5,000 feet, flew several racetrack patterns, and landed safely thirty minutes later. In related news, the first X-47B successfully retracted its landing gear and flew in cruise configuration for the first time on 30 September 2011. The X-47B, developed for the US Navy's Unmanned Combat Air System Carrier Demonstration, or UCAS-D, program, is designed to be the first carrier-based, tailless, low observable, unmanned air system. The Lockheed Martin Skunk Works in Palmdale, California, is a teammate/subcontractor to Northrop Grumman on the X-47.

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