Hasta La Gadget!

The jury’s still out on Lockheed Martin’s F-35B fighter. The aircraft is expected to cost the US more than $1.5 trillion over its lifetime, and it’s been described as being too heavy and too sluggish — one critic has gone so far as to call the jet a “dog.” One thing’s for sure, though: the F-35 looks mighty impressive, especially when it’s landing vertically on an aircraft carrier. In the dark. Click past the break for a look at Lockheed’s trillion-dollar light show, courtesy of Uncle Sam.

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Source: Lockheed Martin (YouTube)

The US Navy’s unmanned plane, the X-47B, has been in development for years. It first flew in 2011, began testing aboard an aircraft carrier in late 2012, and finally took off from a floating airstrip earlier this year. Taking off from a moving ship is easier than landing on one, of course, but the X-47B accomplished that task today when it successfully landed on the USS George H.W. Bush. And, just to show off, shortly thereafter the X-47B was launched from carrier via catapult and, once again, landed successfully. So, it looks to be only a matter of time before our Top Guns look more like Watson, and less like Tom Cruise.

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Source: US Navy

There’s a battle going on between Airbus and Boeing, but while both industry players maintain their fair share of government contracts, this war primarily concerns the commercial side of the biz. For many of the companies that surround these giants at this week’s Paris Air Show, however, military might is big business. Fighter jets, troop transporters, attack drones and massive missiles are the bread and butter of manufacturers like US-based Raytheon and France’s own Thales — smaller companies from China, Germany, Israel and Russia flaunt their own munitions at otherwise ordinary trade show booths, too.

High-profile politicians and military officers from around the world are also in no short supply at Le Bourget Airport this week. In one exhibition hall, we spotted Lieutenant General Craig Franklin, a top US Air Force commander, studying a new security screening system from Safran. Then, earlier today, we stumbled upon Sergey Shoygu, Russia’s Minister of Defence, examining a handful of mobile rocket launchers. And just after yesterday’s Airbus A350 cockpit tour, we bumped into a gaggle of Chinese officers as they were checking out model attack choppers at the Eurocopter booth.

Troops from dozens of countries around the globe were in attendance, often dressed up in full military regalia despite the oppressive summer heat. Allies and enemies alike joined together to take note of the latest and greatest, scanning ground displays and taking in dramatic performances a few hundred feet above the sweltering tarmac. You don’t need to rough it at Le Bourget to see this year’s displays, though. We’ve collected many of the 2013 Paris Air Show’s deadliest crafts in the gallery just below.

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Northrop Grumman’s MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft is one step closer to serving the Navy in reconnaissance and surveillance missions, having just completed its first flight. The drone spent 80 minutes in the air, reaching an altitude of 20,000 feet. That’s child’s play compared to the aircraft’s full potential: according to the Navy, it can soar at up to 60,000 feet and stay airborne for as long as 30 hours, due in no small part to its 130-foot wingspan. By 2015, the Triton will undergo operational testing and evaluation, and the Navy hopes to add additional aircraft to its existing fleet (currently just two strong). Check out the long-range spy plane in action just past the break.

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Source: Defense Tech

With the third X-51A WaveRider failing to reach hypersonic speed due to a fin failure last August, it seemed the United States Air Force would possibly forgo the fourth (and final) run. On the morning of May 1st, however, that last X-51A got its chance to soar, successfully reaching Mach 5.1 during a record 370-second flight. According to the Wright Patterson Air Force base, the aircraft’s rocket booster helped it hit Mach 4.8 about 26 seconds after being released from a B-2H at 50K feet, at which point its air-fed scramjet brought it to 60,000 feet while achieving hypersonic flight. The USAF notes that “it was the longest of the four X-51A test flights [230 nautical miles] and the longest air-breathing hypersonic flight” — surely taking some of the sting out of the $300 million program’s previous shortcomings. Past flights aimed to hit Mach six, with the first and second tests only sustaining Mach five.

The aircraft made destructive splashdown landing into the Pacific as planned, but data from the whole flight was recorded. The USAF isn’t planning a follow-up to the X-51A anytime soon, though the program will likely serve as a reference for future designs. You can dig into the official rundown at the link below.

Filed under: Misc, Transportation

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Via: Slashdot

Source: USAF