Northrop Grumman Optionally Piloted "Firebird"

[Flying Toaster]

http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/blog...79a7Post:c833c291-ab5b-4754-8e97-dfda8a75c421

Where exactly does this fit in? Have they realized that a human behind the controls isn't all that bad? Or is this simply as a concession the the FAA as the article suggests. Then again who would want to be stuck in there for 40 hours.... I'm thinking it should have a reclining seat, HAL can fly while the pilot takes a nap or until something interesting happens. Regardless, with all the news about drones it's cool to see something new that can actually still be flown by someone.

 

[phrogdriver]

The ATC angle on this is probably the big thing. I don't think a human would likely be in for long-endurance hops, but when it's got to self-deploy or do exercises outside of SUAS, having a person onboard mitigates that issue.

 

[HuggyU2]

Does that thing have "Burt Rutan-inspired" written all over it, or what?

 

[scoolbubba]

it's from scaled composites, so yes.

 

[Flying Toaster]

Cockpit looks pretty good, here's a still from the video-

After watching it again I'm pretty sure that's a yaw string on the glass??

 

[Catmando]

Pilot optional? Nothing new under the sun.

36 years ago I used to fly test flights in F-4Bs after they were modified to QF-4B drones.

In place of the radar, a remote control panel was in the aircraft. I had the option of flying the aircraft normally, or by the remote control panel on the instrument panel, which was a duplicate of one on the ground. Flipping switches and turning knobs on the remote control panel I could do most everything to fly a hop from takeoff to touchdown.

Oh, and early F-14As had yaw strings too. Old concepts; new adaptations.

 

[Uncle Fester]

FAA rules was our guess around the office. They're still very uncertain about routine UAV flights in US airspace - having managed airspace full of Preds, I can't say I blame them - so this opens up a lot of DHS and civvie LE markets. NGC is building this on their own dime, so maximizing potential customers is the name of the game.

On the other hand, it'd make flight sked writing a lot easier. "Booger and New Guy are flying late, Fonzie has a cold, Skipper's in a meeting and XO's on leave...shit, just let the robot take Event 1."

 

[A4sForever]

Pilot optional? ... Flipping switches and turning knobs on the remote control panel I could do most everything to fly a hop from takeoff to touchdown.

Sooooooooo ... does that mean you logged some of your flight time while sitting @ the O' Club bar with your little black box ... ???

The airlines aren't gonna' like that !!!

 

[Catmando]

Sooooooooo ... does that mean you logged some of your flight time while sitting @ the O' Club bar with your little black box ... ???

The airlines aren't gonna' like that !!!

Sssssshhhhhhhh. aperbag_

 

[Kaman]

It looks like it has all off-the-shelf avionics from what I can tell too...

 

[blackbart22]

Spent a few hundred hours being tossed around by a guy in a yellow van many miles away. (QF-9, QT-33, QF-86, & QT-38). You can get some wild rides when the guy pulling the G's can't feel them.