Northrop Grumman subsidiary Scaled Composites conducted the maiden flight of its Model 437 Vanguard attritable manned aircraft, a potential demonstrator for the US Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft program.
It is based on the company’s experimental manned Model 401, which was unveiled in 2017.
The Model 437 was unveiled three years ago as an optionally-manned aircraft that could fly alongside a manned platform in a “loyal wingman” role.
Its transition into a manned platform, however, is essentially to speed up the aircraft’s development and is not set in stone, Northrop Grumman aeronautics vice president for Engineering Colin Miller revealed to The Warzone.
“Having a vehicle that can be or is manned offers you the ability to rapidly move through test programs,” the outlet quoted Miller as saying.
“So it allows you to experiment with new technologies and new ways of doing things with a backup that allows you to take more risk than you would if it were completely unmanned from the start.”
Manned Version for Faster Development
For example, taxi trials can be wrapped up much faster with human-in-loop compared to unmanned control, and it is much safer to put a man behind the machine while conducting tactical air-to-air flight trials, according to Miller.
“Another one would be, as you know, as we start thinking about tactical air-to-air applications, you always have to make sure you have safety of flight, that you can avoid mid-airs [mid-air collisions], that you can take over if you happen to be headed towards, let’s say, restricted airspace,” Miller said.
“So having the ability to have a human in the loop allows you to move through test programs much more quickly.”
Scaled Composites leverages its extensive experience to develop the aircraft, including a clean sheet aircraft design, aerodynamic and structural analysis, fuselage and empennage fabrication, aircraft assembly, systems integration, and ground and flight test execution.
Moreover, Northrop Grumman employed advanced digital tools and processes to define, develop, build, and verify the removable wing assemblies.
Model 437 Features
The Model 437 is powered by a single Pratt & Whitney 535 engine, generating around 3,400 pounds (1,542 kilograms) of thrust.
It has a wingspan of 41 feet (12 meters) and a length of 41 feet, with a gross takeoff weight of 10,000 pounds (4,545 kilograms).
Following envelope expansion, the aircraft is stated to have a range of around 3,000 nautical miles (5,556 kilometers/3,452 miles) and an endurance of 6 hours, according to the developer.
It also boasts a payload capacity of 2,000 pounds (907 kilograms) in multiple locations including an internal weapons bay to accommodate two AIM-120 AMRAAMs.
Potential CCA Option
The stealthy aircraft was reportedly conceived as a potential option for the US Air Force’s Skyborg program and the UK’s Project Mosquito, which calls for an attritable escort for F-35s.
The project Skyborg has since been renamed the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program.
The program’s expected role has also been expanded to conduct independent missions, along with escorting the manned aircraft, featuring air-to-air missiles.
Northrop is reportedly competing for the program’s increment 2. Anduril’s “Fury,” and General Atomics’ variant of its XQ-67A Off Board Sensor System were selected for increment 1.