Unidentified large composite structures from Northrop Grumman 2025 3Q report video

[TomcatViP]

Interesting things in that NG add:

View: https://youtu.be/gPNLrTPnbPs?t=30

 

[dark sidius]

Interesting things in that NG add:

FA/XX ?

 

[bob225]

Interesting things in that NG add:

View attachment 789028

View attachment 789029

Don't NG make the Centre part of F-35's, that look a lot like the photo / video

 

[TomcatViP]

F-35 center fuselage section:

 

[flateric]

Don't NG make the Centre part of F-35's, that look a lot like the photo / video

Absolutely not like it of course

 

[Sferrin]

Absolutely not like it of course

For sure.

 

[Manuducati]

Don't NG make the Centre part of F-35's, that look a lot like the photo / video

Except the twin air ducts, of course.

 

[Sferrin]

Except the twin air ducts, of course.

The F-35 has two intakes. But trying to get it to line up with the F-35. . .

 

[red admiral]

I'd expect its just an unclassified test / demo piece given the lack of features for a real airframe.

 

[FlyGuy369]

For sure.

Smells like F/A-XX notice the fuselage at the top aft has a dip in the center where it smoothes to two lobes.

 

[flateric]

I'd expect its just an unclassified test / demo piece given the lack of features for a real airframe.

yes, something like that

 

[Michel Van]

that not look Like F-35 part
could be that NG is subcontractor for Boeing ?

 

[DWG]

I'd expect its just an unclassified test / demo piece given the lack of features for a real airframe.

The light green fuselage segment has several avionics boxes fitted, so this is significantly more than just a structural demo.

 

[Nx4eu]

It kind of looks like CGI, I don't know about anyone else but it feels uncanny too me

 

[flateric]

It kind of looks like CGI, I don't know about anyone else but it feels uncanny too me

It's not CGI. CGI starts at the right panorama still.

 

[flateric]

The light green fuselage segment has several avionics boxes fitted, so this is significantly more than just a structural demo.

C'mon, 'avionics boxes'? You can readily compare F-35 section zillion holes and landscape to that. This is appartently not a flyable article.

 

[Nx4eu]

Could be the twin engine F-35 trump was talking about

 

[TomcatViP]

The yellow one is a demo (preprod). The image was cropped to single out the front fuselage out of a screen still as shown by @flateric post above.

The inlet duct (on the robotic trolley) is a production demo and matches the fuselage section (that has the inlet removed). Just pivot it 90 degree to see it more clearly.

IMOHO, remarkably, the overall geometry shows some feature matching @Rodrigo Avella depiction.

Also, notice the spacious central bomb bay.

 

[FlyGuy369]

I see some contour commonality here.

 

[Hydroman]

Not F-35, NG may have gotten some advanced F/A-XX USN funding possibly or NG is funding some advanced risk-reduction development work which is very feasible. Notice the NG upper management tier is not concerned with initial B-21 FSD returns or for F/A-XX initial development costs or returns. I think NG was heavily invested in F/A-XX advanced development during the LM and Boeing NGAD competition. I'm just kind of reading the tea leaves, I could be wrong though.

 

[DWG]

C'mon, 'avionics boxes'? You can readily compare F-35 section zillion holes and landscape to that. This is appartently not a flyable article.

I'm not saying it's necessarily flyable, but it's got at least two avionics boxes with connectors in place sitting in there, which means it's not a simple physical test article, there is some kind of functionality built in.

 

[dark sidius]

I see some contour commonality here.

Interesting it seem that this is a part of the inlets, they are realy up on the fuselage not on the side.

 

[red admiral]

What intakes? It doesn't have any

 

[dark sidius]

What intakes? It doesn't have any

IT look like a part of the intake , the bulbous part on the front the start of the cockpit.....

 

[eagle]

Interesting things in that NG add:

The second screenshot shows an F-35 center fuselage section in Weeze, Germany.

 

[Sferrin]

What intakes? It doesn't have any

You can see part of two ducts on the upper right portion.

 

[red admiral]

You can see part of two ducts on the upper right portion.

Yes, where is the intake at the othercend of these ducts?

 

[EmoBirb]

Doesn't Scaled Composites belong to Northrop Grumman these days? Perhaps it's something that belongs to their developments, i.e something in the direction of UAVs and technology demonstrators.

 

[Sferrin]

Yes, where is the intake at the othercend of these ducts?

I guess I'm not understanding the significance. They're obviously air ducts with one end hidden by structure, and the actual inlet in a chunk of structure that would go right there to the left.

 

[TomcatViP]

The second screenshot shows an F-35 center fuselage section in Weeze, Germany.

The duct we see a little bit later on the similar robotic carrier is that of a F35. See here for a similar and identifiable view.

It would then make sense that it´s for the same aircraft (Northrop is part of the Rheinmetall effort to produce center fuselages). Hence @eagle , how did you identify Weeze Rheinmetall line, aside of the German carrier?

 

[LowObservable]

Folks, the process by which any approval is granted to even contemplate the idea of doing video on anything anywhere is bureaucratic enough to make the Vogons look like fanatical libertarians. The chances that this specimen is or resembles anything secret are the cube root of Sweet Fanny Adams.

 

[aim9xray]

The weight limitation marked on the bridge crane (12,5) is Euro style, not US. The large assembly facilities at Site 4 (Palmdale) do not have windows.

 

[aim9xray]

Folks, the process by which any approval is granted to even contemplate the idea of doing video on anything anywhere is bureaucratic enough to make the Vogons look like fanatical libertarians. The chances that this specimen is or resembles anything secret are the cube root of Sweet Fanny Adams.

Much less the ability of any GenZ new hire in Comms to be tell the difference between a EM-E-One-Oh-Nine from a Fairey Roto-Dyne.

 

[dark sidius]

The weight limitation marked on the bridge crane (12,5) is Euro style, not US. The large assembly facilities at Site 4 (Palmdale) do not have windows.

This is a Northrop video in a Northrop facility may be not in Palmdale may be in Florida.

 

[aim9xray]

This is a Northrop video in a Northrop facility may be not in Palmdale may be in Florida.

Could be. I have no knowledge to rule in or out.

 

[4decaa]

Interesting things in that NG add:

View: https://youtu.be/gPNLrTPnbPs?t=30

The second image is F-35 intake...

 

[red admiral]

I guess I'm not understanding the significance. They're obviously air ducts with one end hidden by structure, and the actual inlet in a chunk of structure that would go right there to the left.

That's what I mean. There isn't an intake, or even any fastening locations for it to be added on as a separate block. Very much a "representative centre fuselage" for demonstrating something e.g. new assembly technique

 

[Sferrin]

That's what I mean. There isn't an intake, or even any fastening locations for it to be added on as a separate block. Very much a "representative centre fuselage" for demonstrating something e.g. new assembly technique

One of the things I'd hope they'd be testing is automation. Drilling, part placement, fastening, etc. We need this:

 

[Dreamflyer]

the robotic trolley

Is German. You can read the indications/warnings 'vorne' (front) und 'hinten' (rear) on it.

 

[eagle]

The duct we see a little bit later on the similar robotic carrier is that of a F35. See here for a similar and identifiable view.

It would then make sense that it´s for the same aircraft (Northrop is part of the Rheinmetall effort to produce center fuselages). Hence @eagle , how did you identify Weeze Rheinmetall line, aside of the German carrier?

1. It's an F-35 fuselage, 2. the markings are German/metric. 3. Find pics/video of the Weeze plant to check if it's been filmed there:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_2SayC1BIk