Onboard pilot optional with Northrop's Firebird spy plane

LA Times ^ | May 9, 2011 | W.J. Hennigan

[jazusamo]

Aerospace giant Northrop Grumman Corp. has quietly developed a new spy plane that can listen in on phone conversations, use high-powered radar and shoot live video footage as it flies at 30,000 feet above the Earth.

And the spy plane, expected to be unveiled Monday, would operate with or without a pilot sitting in the cockpit.

Until now, U.S. military aircraft have been designed to either have a pilot on board or be an unmanned drone. But Northrop's new plane, dubbed the Firebird, can switch from being a traditional aircraft to a drone with just a few modifications.

The Century City company is developing the propeller-powered Firebird at its own expense. It is betting that the hybrid plane will appeal to the Pentagon as defense budget cuts loom and the federal government deals with rising deficits.

"The government is always going to want options with its aircraft," said Tom Captain, aerospace analyst with Deloitte. "Unmanned aircraft is taking on increasingly difficult missions. However, in the fog of war, there are still situations where you need a pilot's instinct inside the cockpit."

If the military has a plane that can do both missions, it may save money on maintenance personnel and spare parts, Captain said. "It's the same engine. It's the same airframe. The only difference is how it's piloted."

[null and void]

[freedumb2003]

are OBSOLETE!

(Actually, I like using technology to keep people out of harm's way when possible, but this HAD to be posted!)

[GonzoGOP]

Well it is cool looking, I'll give them that.

[jazusamo]

Thanks for posting!

[OldDeckHand]

Purely as a statement of aviation aesthetics, it sure isn’t the SR-71, is it?

[KarlInOhio]

Just make sure the pilot support system is modular so it can be easily pulled out and replaced with extra fuel for unmanned missions. No reason to lug around the ejector seat and oxygen equipment when you don't have a pilot.

[jazusamo]

Please bump the Freepathon or click above and donate or become a monthly donor!

[GonzoGOP]

From aviationweek.com
Thus, Firebird is an optionally piloted vehicle (OPV); it was secretly built by Northrop Grumman’s Scaled Composites in 12 months.

I should have known that Burt Rutan would be involved in anything that looked that cool. He has done more for aviation aesthetics than anyone since Jack Northrop and Kelly Johnson.

[null and void]

No, that it ain’t. Could be a distant cousin of an A-10 though.

(On the P-38 side of the family)...

[gaijin]

they should have one orbiting over special events (esp at remote facilities) to provide surge-capacity for cell-phone coverage.

I’m thinking Nascar, yachting regattas, natural disasters, or later maybe at peak commuting times in major metropolitan areas.

Providers could boast of their relationship with the aircraft operating company in order to project added value.

[ArrogantBustard]

It would seem to have more in common with the

OV-10 "Bronco"

[Mr.Unique]

It will give you the best of manned and unmanned air vehicles.

and, give you the worst of manned and unmanned air vehicles.

...all rolled into one! ;)

[jazusamo]

Doesn’t mention anything in the article about border patrol but it seems it could fit nicely there.

[OldDeckHand]

"It would seem to have more in common with the OV-10 "Bronco" "

Yep, that's it. I knew it looked familiar, but I couldn't put my finger on it. It does have a bit P-38 meets Warthog feel, but it looks like a Bronco first born - very similar.

[null and void]

Agreed!

[Peter from Rutland]

Whatever happened to Aurora?

[ArrogantBustard]

The O-2 Skymaster

The deHavilland Vampire

And White Knight

Also are in that family.

[GonzoGOP]

This is the real progenitor for this bird.

[American Quilter]

Go Northrop! (I’m a Northrop Grumman employee.)