T-X getting interesting

a reply to: Zaphod58

We're getting a tease from Boeing on their T-X.

a reply to: anzha

Boeing must have been reading Zaph's posts about the LRSB pics he's gonna tease us with.

It looks a little like their advanced trainer concept so far:



...except for a rounded nose and the start of the wing root area.

The monkey skills of flying are really secondary to system operation anyway. The biggest caveats are Dogfighting, refueling, carrier landing.

If google can make self-driving cars, shouldn't at least refueling and carrier landing be reliably automatable?

a reply to: mbkennel

They are. They demoed that with the X-47B, both refueling and carrier landing. Its suspected the RQ-170 can do the refueling, too, but with the boom instead of the drogue.

Dog fighting is still a human level skill and one should NOT count on having sat com during a war with a peer or near peer. However, it might be that the future of air combat is rather different with lasers and drones in the mix. A Pointer Tracker System on a laser can easily lock onto and hold an aircraft. Well, then, laser go zapzap at Mach One Million.

*IF* DARPA's HELLADS works, the world just changed for air combat. Either you need to have serious heat resistant survivability or cannot be seen.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Textron talked about whether or not they need to do a clean sheet design for the T-X. They did state they were NOT using the Scorpion.

The competition is expected to take place in 2017. Textron has confirmed that the Scorpion will not be offered, as the requirements have evolved too far for it. It was kind of interesting how they put it though. They said "Scorpion, as is, is not a competitor for T-X".

www.flightglobal.com...

a reply to: Zaphod58

I'd imagine it's pretty amazing what new wings and engines will do for a platform.

a reply to: Barnalby

Kinda what I'm thinking too.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Oh, the wonders of a plane that's built like legos...

I wonder how hard it would be to play up the F-14 resemblance and fit that modular airframe with swing wings? Someone at Textron HAS to have thought of it, at least while drunk or something...

a reply to: Barnalby

Textron *IS* trying to sell the Scorpion to the US navy, after all.

a reply to: anzha

They don't have a choice in the matter. It's either a cheaper currency aircraft or blow the budget on more Hornets.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Supposedly, Northrop showed a bunch of journalists their T-X bird on December 10th, 2015.

Anyone have pix?

a reply to: anzha

Nope. They won't allow pics until it flies. Personally I like the Lockheed entry.

a reply to: anzha

No pic. Is necessary. Apparently it looks like a T-38.
If one was in Mojave, one could probably see it in person in the not too distant future.

a reply to: Sammamishman

Northrop has stated they'll roll out T-X and even start test flights in January.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Hunchback of Bethesda, MD. I like it though.

a reply to: Sammamishman

It is pretty.

Pictures:





Videos:

a reply to: Zaphod58

Wow, that hump is ugly, extra fuel tank I assume.