New British UCAV demonstrator

Surprised this hasn't been posted here yet...

www.aviationnow.com.../BAE02166.xml

The gist of it is that the Raven UAV referred to in the Defence Industrial Strategy wasn’t Corax (despite the name) but was a low observable, flying wing UAV built and flown by BAE Systems in 2003 at the Woomera test range in Australia. It's fuselage was apparhently the same design (same size?) as Corax.

No pics of it yet though.

Good find, thanks for that, it sounds like an X-45 style UCAV with the same centre fuselage of the straight winged Corax

Good information; I think this picture could be the so called BAe 'Corax' UCAV at Farnborough, Hampshire UK. I have seen this story for a while
since they did the media promotion. Looks a bit like the X45c to me, maybe some cooperation between BAe & USAF ? Its also intresting that a friend of mine who lives near Woodford Cheshire UK has told me of the reported black triangles in the area.

If at first you dont succeed ....

Actually that picture shows nothing more than a derelict BAe 125 executive jet. The fuselage is under the tarpaulin and the wings are deposited beside it.

nice, so in simple terms what does this mean?

is corax 1 project and 'raven' is another?, when do you think they will release pictures of it??

but the futures defiantly looking bright for the british military, those new type45 destoryers, carriers, new subs etc.

f-35, UAV Corax, UCAV's,

the 10/15 years should be very interesting, the futures looking good!!

[edit on 18-2-2006 by st3ve_o]

Whilst living in Lancashire in 2004, myself and my fiancee would watch these UCAV's fly out of warton test field. We saw the corax flying in formation with a craft with identical body, but with sharply swept back wings instead of straight. They would climb quickly and head out over the Irish sea, often followed by a hawk trainer jet.

Steve, it seems that Raven was built and flown in 2003 and designed specifically to demonstrate UCAV related technologies. Corax was built and flown in 2004 (maybe 2005) and shares the same fuselage as Raven, this was built to test Corax’s specific plan form. There’s confusion as to whether Raven was an BAE/MoD effort or just a BAE one, the article says that the project fed into SUAV(E) which would suggest the former however I’ve been rereading the DIS which refers to Raven as “BAE’s own” which would point to it being an independent project. Either way its looks as though Corax was derived from Raven rather than being a wholly separate project.

Greebo, don’t suppose you took any photos?

According to all the published information both aircraft only flew from Woomera in Australia, why would they go through the effort of sending there when they were openly flying them out of Warton?

Thanks for the info re Farnborough Waynos.
Here is Corax

The confusing thing is that Corex=raven in latin. The alturnative wing plans for MALE/HALE applications and penetration-strike applications is straightforward and no real surprise. This article supports the theories I've been putting forward re the UK's UCAV program so I'm happy on thaty count.

MadGreebo,
can you please describe the swept wing UAV you saw. Maybe these drawings will help.

Yet more good news,

*UK reveals details of six new UAV programmes
An intensive secret programme of development work on a series of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has been disclosed by BAE Systems. The company said in...
17-Feb-2006

jdw.janes.com...

Being conservative and assuming that this includes two Ravens, Corax and Herti that still leaves two UAVs that have previously been classified (or at least open secrets).

Planeman, your drawing A is almost spot on.

I never got any good pics of these UCAV's, mainly because a small camera doesn't catch much detail, and being no camera freak I wouldn't even know where to start : ( .

As i said in my earlier post, the hawk seemed to be an escort of some type as they headed out over the irish sea. One thing of interest is the steep climb angle the things can do, and they are no way slow machines.

I never got any good pics of these UCAV's, mainly because a small camera doesn't catch much detail

What about bad quality pictures, anything you can scan in and post?

Originally posted by planeman
The confusing thing is that Corex=raven in latin. The alturnative wing plans for MALE/HALE applications and penetration-strike applications is straightforward and no real surprise. This article supports the theories I've been putting forward re the UK's UCAV program so I'm happy on thaty count.

MadGreebo,
can you please describe the swept wing UAV you saw. Maybe these drawings will help.

Raven is different from the Corax. Its pretty clear now.

Here's the first picture of the Raven :


For details >> www.aviationnow.com.../BAE02166.xml

For a more comprehensive insight >> www.network54.com...

Do you post on WAFF Stealth Spy? What's your log in name? I'm RM-Nod.

Anyway, Kestrel apparently did fly in UK airspace so maybe that's what Greebo saw. Though I think it may have been tested in Scotland it's not impossible that it was flown at Warton, it was built there.

nice, is there a bigger picture of it?

can't really tell too much by the small photo.

Well thats a neat piccie and find

Swept wing corax! Well, same body different wings and that little (!) dude can shift trust me. BAe sure are busy bunnies at the minute regarding their ucav programs!

Nice find.

Heres the story with a different pic. This one shows the sharply swept wings to a better effect.

www.aviationnow.com.../022006p2.xml

[edit on 23-2-2006 by MadGreebo]

Here some bigger versions of the pics above;

O you are the man for those pics..... a treble from me for those HUGE pics posted. They are awesome, cheers dude. Now at least I can say to all those who made me question my own eye sight.. plllffffffffffff!

On a mature note, warton. Its where its at, and when they reveal the diamond shaped one I will be fully vindicated on my claims of a UCAV airforce for the RAF.

Thanks,

If you saw anything I'd bet it was Kestrel rather than Raven (the one above) though it may look a lot like Raven. I also have a suspicion that another UAV has been produced by BAE and flown around 2001/2002. Kestrel, Raven and Corax all first flew in 2003.

Do you still live near Warton? If so you really need to start carrying a camera with you everywhere you go!