Northrop to build Switchblade

First post here, but have been a longtime viewer.

Saw this on Janes, appologize if this was posted elsewhere, but searched and didn't see it.

X-planes are so much fun.

Janes:
Northrop to build oblique wing demonstrator

By Stephen Trimble JDW Americas Bureau Chief
Washington, DC

Northrop Grumman has been selected to build a new X-plane with a tailless oblique flying wing (OFW) shape in hopes of solving an old aerodynamic problem: how to design an aircraft that is as efficient flying low-speed surveillance orbits as performing a supersonic strike mission.

The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) awarded the project, named Switchblade, to Northrop Grumman on 17 March. The manufacturer will develop a preliminary design and address controllability issues over 20 months under a USD10.3 million Phase 1 contract.

A subscale Switchblade prototype with a wingspan of at least 12 m (40 ft) is expected to fly in 2010, according to DARPA.

The OFW shape allows the aircraft to vary its sweep angle with Mach number. There would be little or no sweep in low-speed flight, in which drag due to lift is the bigger problem. At supersonic speed, one end of the flying wing would be swept almost completely forward. This is an oblique angle, which is intended to counter the high-speed problem of wave drag.

As far as I remember it was a concept only from an artist, correct me if i'm wrong,otherwise, this would be quite exciting, about as exciting as when the Bird of Prey was unveiled...

Do you have any links at all?

Originally posted by GrOuNd_ZeRo
As far as I remember it was a concept only from an artist, correct me if i'm wrong,otherwise, this would be quite exciting, about as exciting as when the Bird of Prey was unveiled...

Do you have any links at all?

Here ya go...
Janes: "Northrop to build oblique wing demonstrator"

I see that this design is different to the previously flown Oblique Wing aircraft is that it is Tailess and supersonic.

NASA Dryden Oblique Wing Resaerch aircraft of 1976

NASA Dryden AD-1 1979-1982

im confused.

i thought this plane was called swichblade
www.koreanconflicts.com...

but the oblique flying wing that northdrop have just designed is compleatly different.


which of the planes is called switchblade??

justin

Yeah, it's very much different than the variable wing "Switchblade" that has been discussed. I don't know if the "Switchblade" was ever an official name for that aircraft, but I do know it was also a Northrop design and I have seen patents on the internet for it.

Here are another couple links with concept drawings....

www.defensetech.org...
www.flightglobal.com...

Yeah thats accurate, there was a big thing a while back about the Northrop-Grumman patent for a variable geometry winged aircraft in which the trailing edge of the wing becomes the leading edge. I cant remember either whether switchblade was an actual name for it or was it just christened by the magazine that broke the story. Anyone know?

This switchblade it totally different being effectively a flying wing design. Suprised Northrop chose that name though!!

Bird of Prey Demonstrator,i saw the concept in a popular science years ago,which i kept and have somewhere which i hope to find and scan for you. I know this is well known on here but i think its overlooked for more "DARK" reasons people have, i think its the Bird of Prey or "Switchblade" Demonstrator refined after a decade of work.Just my thought.

Originally posted by Blackfyre
First post here, but have been a longtime viewer.

posted on 15-4-2006 @ 7:50pm
Saw this on Janes, appologize if this was posted elsewhere, but searched and didn't see it.

X-planes are so much fun.

Janes:
Northrop to build oblique wing demonstrator

By Stephen Trimble JDW Americas Bureau Chief
Washington, DC

Northrop Grumman has been selected to build a new X-plane with a tailless oblique flying wing (OFW) shape in hopes of solving an old aerodynamic problem: how to design an aircraft that is as efficient flying low-speed surveillance orbits as performing a supersonic strike mission.

The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) awarded the project, named Switchblade, to Northrop Grumman on 17 March. The manufacturer will develop a preliminary design and address controllability issues over 20 months under a USD10.3 million Phase 1 contract.

A subscale Switchblade prototype with a wingspan of at least 12 m (40 ft) is expected to fly in 2010, according to DARPA.

The OFW shape allows the aircraft to vary its sweep angle with Mach number. There would be little or no sweep in low-speed flight, in which drag due to lift is the bigger problem. At supersonic speed, one end of the flying wing would be swept almost completely forward. This is an oblique angle, which is intended to counter the high-speed problem of wave drag.