Aviation / Aerospace

Northrop Grumman X-47A Pegasus

Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV) [ 2003 ]

The Northrop Grumman X-47A UCAV was designed with combat capabilities from the start.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 11/17/2020 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

GO TO SPECIFICATIONS [+]

Advertisements

The X-47A "Pegasus" stealthy technology demonstrator Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV) began as a private venture by defense powerhouse Northrop Grumman. The aircraft was originally a participant in the DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) Joint Unmanned Combat Air Systems (J-UCAS) program which also included the competing Boeing X-45 demonstrator. The J-UCAS program existed until terminated in 2006. From this work was born the UCAS-D program of the United States Navy (USN), reintroducing the X-47A Pegasus as a spring-board product to the more advanced X-47B carrier-based UCAV.

Design work on the aircraft began after a Navy contract was secured in 2001. Northrop engineers elected for a tailless, diamond-shaped planform lacking vertical surfaces of any kind. The fuselage was blended into the main wing units which sported 55-degree sweep. The engine was buried in a bulge at center with a sliver intake opening above the nose of the aircraft to aspirate the single engine installation. This became a Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15D-5C turbofan engine of 3,190lbs thrust. The X-47A - as it was designated - was given a fully-working, fully-retractable wheeled tricycle undercarriage. An internal bomb bay was integrated into the design but never utilized during testing. Construction included use of composites. The X-47A recorded its first flight on February 23rd, 2003 at China Lake in California.

Dimensions included length of 27.9 feet, a wingspan 27.8 feet and a height of 6 feet. Empty listed weight was 3,835lb with a Maximum Take-Off Weight (MTOW) of 5,900lbs. Known performance specifications included a service ceiling above 40,000 feet and a range in excess of 2,780 kilometers.

No longer in active testing, the X-47A was given up by the USN in favor of the promising X-47B whose program has since completed several well-publicized milestones including launching from, and landing on, a carrier deck (USS George H.W. Bush CVN-77).©MilitaryFactory.com

Note: The above text is EXCLUSIVE to the site www.MilitaryFactory.com. It is the product of many hours of research and work made possible with the help of contributors, veterans, insiders, and topic specialists. If you happen upon this text anywhere else on the internet or in print, please let us know at MilitaryFactory AT gmail DOT com so that we may take appropriate action against the offender / offending site and continue to protect this original work.

Specifications

Service Year

2003

Origin

United States

Status

RETIRED
Not in Service.

Crew

0
UNMANNED

Production

1
UNITS

Northrop Grumman - USA

(View other Aviaton-Related Manufacturers)

United States

(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)

✓ Ground Attack (Bombing, Strafing)
Ability to conduct aerial bombing of ground targets by way of (but not limited to) guns, bombs, missiles, rockets, and the like.

✓ X-Plane (Developmental, Prototype, Technology Demonstrator)
Aircraft developed for the role of prototyping, technology demonstration, or research / data collection.

✓ Unmanned Capability
Aircraft inherently designed (or later developed) with an unmanned capability to cover a variety of over-battlefield roles.

Length

27.9 ft
(8.50 m)

Width/Span

27.9 ft
(8.50 m)

Height

6.2 ft
(1.90 m)

Empty Wgt

3,836 lb
(1,740 kg)

MTOW

4,850 lb
(2,200 kg)

Wgt Diff

+1,014 lb
(+460 kg)

(Showcased structural values pertain to the base Northrop Grumman X-47A Pegasus production variant)

Installed: 1 x Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15D-5C turbofan engine developing 3,200lb of thrust.

Range

1,740 mi
(2,800 km | 5,186 nm)

(Showcased performance specifications pertain to the base Northrop Grumman X-47A Pegasus production variant. Performance specifications showcased above are subject to environmental factors as well as aircraft configuration. Estimates are made when Real Data not available. Compare this aircraft entry against any other in our database or View aircraft by powerplant type)

None - this is a proof of concept technology demonstrator.

Supported Types

(Not all ordnance types may be represented in the showcase above)

X-47A - Initial land-based technology demonstrator UCAV.

X-47B - Navalized X-47A technology demonstrator for possible procurement by US Navy for carrier-based operations.

X-47C - Englarged X-47A with increased weapons load.

Military lapel ribbon for Operation Allied Force

Military lapel ribbon for the Arab-Israeli War

Military lapel ribbon for the Battle of Britain

Military lapel ribbon for the Battle of Midway

Military lapel ribbon for the Berlin Airlift

Military lapel ribbon for the Cuban Missile Crisis

Military lapel ribbon for pioneering aircraft

Military lapel ribbon for the Falklands War

Military lapel ribbon for the French-Indochina War

Military lapel ribbon for the Golden Age of Flight

Military lapel ribbon for the 1991 Gulf War

Military lapel ribbon for the Indo-Pak Wars

Military lapel ribbon for the Iran-Iraq War

Military lapel ribbon for the Korean War

Military lapel ribbon for the 1982 Lebanon War

Military lapel ribbon for the Malayan Emergency

Military lapel ribbon representing modern aircraft

Military lapel ribbon for the attack on Pearl Harbor

Military lapel ribbon for the Six Day War

Military lapel ribbon for the Soviet-Afghan War

Military lapel ribbon for the Spanish Civil War

Military lapel ribbon for the Suez Crisis

Military lapel ribbon for the Ukranian-Russian War

Military lapel ribbon for the Vietnam War

Military lapel ribbon for Warsaw Pact of the Cold War-era

Military lapel ribbon for the WASP (WW2)

Military lapel ribbon for the World War 1

Military lapel ribbon for the World War 2

Military lapel ribbon for the Yom Kippur War

Military lapel ribbon for experimental x-plane aircraft

Ribbon graphics not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. Ribbons are clickable to their respective aerial campaigns / operations / aviation periods.

Images Gallery

1 / 1

Advertisements

Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Cookies

2023 Military Pay Chart Military Ranks DoD Dictionary Conversion Calculators Military Alphabet Code Military Map Symbols

The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com.

Part of a network of sites that includes GlobalFirepower, a data-driven property used in ranking the top military powers of the world, WDMMA.org (World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft), WDMMW.org (World Directory of Modern Military Warships), SR71blackbird.org, detailing the history of the world's most iconic spyplane, and MilitaryRibbons.info, cataloguing all American military medals and ribbons.

www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Content ©2003-