X-47B Lands on Carrier

[GOONIE]

Yesterday history was made when the UCAS X-47B successlly trapped twice on the USS Bush. Times are changing in carrier aviation. 

Looks like the first pass was a little high for an OK 3 (remember Bush is a 3 wire ship)
second pass was nuts on, for an OK 2.

I was out at PAX River for the dry rehearsal on Tuesday, it is crazy to see how they actually fly the UCAS, all done with a mouse and a key board.

-GOONIE

[SUBS17]

lol I was waiting to see if someone would salute the drone. (that's a good joke on the Noobs)

[Paddles]

From here:

The UCAS-D will feature both probe-and-drogue of the US Navy and boom-receptacle mechanisms of the USAF for autonomous air refuelling.
...
The aerial refuelling demonstrations will be carried out in 2014.

  Oh, my... I'd love to see those guys with mice and keyboards trying to put that probe into a basket 

[GOONIE]

Unfortunately the air to air tests are not going to take place using the X-47, they are going to use another jet (think a lear jet), which will be flown using the X-47 software to meet the air to air testing requirement.

Also, when I say flown with keyboard and mouse, it is not manually being controlled by either device. You can only select from a few procedures, routes, and landing sites, then it is all done autonomously by the mission/flight computer. I was surprised to not see a stick or throttle in the UCAS trailer, but that is how it is done.

[SpazSinbad]

'Goonie' and others there is a thread describing how the X-47B carries out carrier approaches (I'll find it). 'Paddles' has found a good general info page on the X-47B already I see.

This thread [ http://www.fsdreamteam.com/forum/index.php?topic=7279.msg68407#msg68407 ] has info (about JPALS particularly) which is used to guide the X-47B to the very accurate landings it can achieve. Soon Super Hornets and F-35Cs (& Bs in their own way) will be using JPALS - along with F-35As and all military aircraft so equipped everywhere when equipment installed and so will civilian aircraft. This tiny URL: http://tinyurl.com/n4qhozx is a substitute for the broken long URL on the other thread. I hope the info is still there because I'm on dialup speed for the next few days and unable to go to the SkyDrive website at moment.

What interests me about the USS BUSH is the three wire layout. I can see only three sheaves plus the fourth sheave for the barrier right next to the last third wire sheave. Is this three wire arrangement only on the BUSH or will it be on other CVNs. I know that the Advanced Arrestor Gear (AAG) which will be on the first new CVNs and retrofitted at some point to the old CVNs is in the pipeline.

Anyway any info on this current 3 wire layout (diagram? overhead photo?) would be great please. TAH.  

[SpazSinbad]

Here are some amazing details (don't tell the LSO.... shhhssshhhshshhhh.....).... 

Third UCAS Carrier Landing Attempt Diverted Ashore By Amy Butler 12 Jul 2013

"...This third arrested landing attempt took place only shortly after the X-47B achieved aviation history by conducting the first trap landing of a stealthy, tailless unmanned aircraft on a carrier deck.

That feat took place 10 sec. early, Engdahl says, at 1:39 p.m. and 50 sec. local time. During the first landing, the aircraft caught wire 3 at 124 kt. with a 28 kt. headwind.

After conducing a catapult launch, the aircraft then snagged wire 2 at 118 kt. This second landing is notable because while the tailhook during the first touched down almost exactly where models suggested on the centerline, the second time it did not.

The tailhook actually contacted the deck 9 vertical inches short of the programmed point (which translates to a few horizontal feet because the ship is in motion). But the aircraft still managed to catch the number 2 wire as planned.

While on the Bush, operators conducted the first-ever hot refueling of the X-47B on a deck...."

http://www.aviationweek.com/Article.aspx?id=/article-xml/asd_07_12_2013_p01-01-596367.xml&p=2

[SpazSinbad]

Earlier I had misrembered this old info as being for only new CVNs abuildin' but as shown we can see that from CVN 76 onwards these are the new wire arrangements, with the X-47B first arrest being aboard USS BUSH CVN 77.

[SpazSinbad]

X-47B fails fourth trap attempt 16 Jul 2013 Dave Majumdar

""Aircraft 'Salty Dog 501' was launched to the ship on July 15 to collect additional shipboard landing data," the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) says. "During the flight, the aircraft experienced a minor test instrumentation issue and returned to NAS Patuxent River [Maryland], where it safely landed." 

The unsuccessful fourth attempt means that the UCAS-D programme will not be able to complete its stated goal of making a minimum of three successful "traps" onboard a carrier. The X-47B made two successful traps on the Bush on 10 July, but a third attempt that day failed when aircraft "Salty Dog 502" self-detected a navigation computer anomaly that forced it to divert to Wallops Island Air Field, Virginia.

"There were no additional opportunities for testing aboard CVN 77, which returned to port today," NAVAIR says. "This was the final at sea period for UCAS-D. The objective of the demonstration was to complete a carrier landing. The programme met their objective."
 
NAVAIR UCAS-D programme manager Capt Jaime Engdahl says, "We accomplished the vast majority of our carrier demonstration objectives during our 11 days at sea aboard CVN 77 in May."..."

http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/the-dewline/2013/07/x-47b-fails-fourth-trap-attemp.html

[SpazSinbad]

Seven Touch and Goes as seen on Utubby....

VIDEO: X-47B Program Update

"Northrop Grumman"

[SpazSinbad]

About that video above....

Carrier, civil aviation could eventually take lessons from UCAS landing trials
Amy Butler | Aviation Week & Space Technology 5/12 August 2013

"...the team also demonstrated the aircraft's ability to land in all conditions up to sea state 5, including waves up to 13 ft. high, and various crosswind conditions in flight and simulated testing quietly conducted ashore at NAS Patuxent River, Md.

The two sea-based landings were seminal for the program and carrier aviation, but perhaps more revealing about the system's capabilities was a series of seven successive touch-and goes done during a single day's worth of trials on the USS Bush May 21, says Carl Johnson, Northrop Grumman UCAS vice president. These trials were conducted in advance of the carrier landings to prove the bolter logic - an autonomous function that kicks in to conduct a quick, safe takeoff in the event one the X-47Bs were to miss all three wires on the Bush. In a manned aircraft, the pilot engages the throttle to gain enough speed and manually directs the aircraft down the centerline of the runway.

During the bolter trials for the X-47B, engineers collected video of the landings to analyze not only how precise the touchdowns were based on predictions, but also to study how precisely the air vehicle accelerated down the centerline on its takeoff.

For the touch-and-goes, the nose gear landed all seven times with no more than 1 ft. in lateral deviation and 8 ft. in longitudinal deviation, a space slightly larger than a yoga mat. These seven landings are representative of thousands of simulations and other trials done ashore to vary the wind conditions and other factors. "Our performance at sea was equivalent to our performance on shore-based landings," Johnson says. Also notable is the consistency with which the nose gear rolls precisely along the centerline as the aircraft speeds up for its takeoff to rejoin the carrier's traffic pattern, Johnson says.

In a video of clips showing the seven touch-and-goes compiled by Northrop Grumman, the air vehicle shows a slight deviation in its sixth landing, where the nose gear touches down slightly closer to the centerline. This was a result of a shift in crosswinds, Johnson says. The aircraft, however, compensated and conducted its takeoff precisely along the centerline as shown in the video...."

[dreaminsight]

I hope that airplanes will forever have a pilot on board... i don't like Unmanned flying systems... But bravo northrop grumman