This Northrop Grumman Exec Has Some Very Interesting Airplane Models On His Desk

[Flyaway]

Can you do better than this blogger at IDing all the models on the exec's desk & office.

This Northrop Grumman Exec Has Some Very Interesting Airplane Models On His Desk

For a guy that has likely seen it all when it comes to classified aircraft projects, the planes that adorn his desk are well worth checking out.

www.thedrive.com

Here's the original newspaper article.

How I Made It: A restaurant customer helped launch Chris Hernandez's aerospace career

How I Made It profile on Chris Hernandez, vice president of engineering at Northrop Grumman Corp.

www.latimes.com

 

[Mat Parry]

my punt at the unknown (next to the proteus) is a Northrop Grumman concept for NGAD.
http://www.airforcemag.com/MagazineArchive/Pages/2009/October%202009/1009fighter.aspx

courtesy of flateric.
reply 264
https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,3536.msg141688.html#msg141688

reply 1381
https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,191.msg242199.html#msg242199

 

[Flyaway]

my punt at the unknown (next to the proteus) is a Northrop Grumman concept for NGAD.
http://www.airforcemag.com/MagazineArchive/Pages/2009/October%202009/1009fighter.aspx

courtesy of flateric.
reply 264
https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,3536.msg141688.html#msg141688

reply 1381
https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,191.msg242199.html#msg242199

See you're on this Twitter thread. Has anyone ID the one that looks a bit like the X-47B?

 

[Mat Parry]

See you're on this Twitter thread. Has anyone ID the one that looks a bit like the X-47B?

perhaps we are talking at cross purposes, do you mean the model next to the proteus (first on the right of the proteus when looking at the picture)?
If so see my previous response

 

[Flyaway]

See you're on this Twitter thread. Has anyone ID the one that looks a bit like the X-47B?

perhaps we are talking at cross purposes, do you mean the model next to the proteus (first on the right of the proteus when looking at the picture)?
If so see my previous response

The one on his desk is the NGAD isn't it?

I was talking about the one behind him second furtherest from the right?

 

[Ogami musashi]

my punt at the unknown (next to the proteus) is a Northrop Grumman concept for NGAD.
http://www.airforcemag.com/MagazineArchive/Pages/2009/October%202009/1009fighter.aspx

courtesy of flateric.
reply 264
https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,3536.msg141688.html#msg141688

reply 1381
https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,191.msg242199.html#msg242199

If you talk about the red squared top of the library model on twitter, i don't think this is the NG NGAD that was shown some years ago, it is far too big.
To the right of that plane you have the current NGAD model that is also displayed on his desk.

 

[Mat Parry]

There are many concepts for NGAD...

If you look in the airforce mag link (I would recommend the PDF)... sod it here is the link

http://www.airforcemag.com/MagazineArchive/Documents/2009/October%202009/1009fighter.pdf

you will see a Northrop Grumman illustration of the NGAD concept I am referring to.

 

[Mat Parry]

If you talk about the red squared top of the library model on twitter, i don't think this is the NG NGAD that was shown some years ago, it is far too big.
To the right of that plane you have the current NGAD model that is also displayed on his desk.

you can tell how big the plane is from the size of the model? jeez the Australian wedge tail must be bloody tiny!

 

[flateric]

my punt at the unknown (next to the proteus) is a Northrop Grumman concept for NGAD.

Obviously not, Matt. Either X-47B that looks a little bit uncommon at this angle (I can't see cropped wing tip, wing consoles seems to be longer and - where's inlet?), early NGB or ... RQ-180, someone?

 

[Ogami musashi]

If you talk about the red squared top of the library model on twitter, i don't think this is the NG NGAD that was shown some years ago, it is far too big.
To the right of that plane you have the current NGAD model that is also displayed on his desk.

you can tell how big the plane is from the size of the model? jeez the Australian wedge tail must be bloody tiny!

Just look at the NGAD just left of it. You can see the mysterious one is significantly bigger which would be strange for a plane tailored for the exact same mission.

 

[Mat Parry]

Fair enough, I doubt we are going to get anywhere arguing of the relative scales of models...

For some reason I appear to be fixated on that NGAD concept...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2_AiQLCb3U

No offence is intended!

 

[Flyaway]

my punt at the unknown (next to the proteus) is a Northrop Grumman concept for NGAD.

Obviously not, Matt. Either X-47B that looks a little bit uncommon at this angle (I can't see cropped wing tip, wing consoles seems to be longer and - where's inlet?), early NGB or ... RQ-180, someone?

That's the one I was talking about, aren't the wing angles wrong for the X-47B, or is it such the angle of the photo. I have a hard time believing he'd leave a model of the still classified RQ-180 out on public display, if it does exist. Mind you those wings look huge, much bigger than the X-47B, so who knows.

 

[Sundog]

I was thinking it looks more like an unmanned subsonic version of their unmanned supersonic strike concept.

 

[flateric]

I was thinking it looks more like an unmanned subsonic version of their unmanned supersonic strike concept.

par me? which one?

 

[marauder2048]

It was one of NG's earlier concepts for DARPA's TERN.

 

[TomcatViP]

“If everybody does what you want done, then there’s that absence of diversity in thought which companies strive for,” Hernandez said. “The more diverse the group is in solving a problem, the better the solution’s going to be.”

I like this quote.

Source:
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-himi-hernandez-20170903-htmlstory.html

 

[flateric]

It was one of NG's earlier concepts for DARPA's TERN.

We are not talking of TERN (and Hernandez model is quite up to date TERN configuration)

 

[Flyaway]

It was one of NG's earlier concepts for DARPA's TERN.

We are not talking of TERN (and Hernandez model is quite up to date TERN configuration)

Would they be cheeky enough to leave a model RQ-180 out on view?

 

[marauder2048]

It was one of NG's earlier concepts for DARPA's TERN.

We are not talking of TERN (and Hernandez model is quite up to date TERN configuration)

Because SideARM is under TERN and that model was likely NG's entry.

 

[flateric]

Because SideARM is under TERN and that model was likely NG's entry.

Oh, please no. SideArm was tested by Aurora and UAV on the vid is totally different from model on the photo.
Moreover, why should they a). use 'early NG' model b).for the SideArm tests in late '16 - early '17

 

[marauder2048]

Because SideARM is under TERN and that model was likely NG's entry.

Oh, please no. SideArm was tested by Aurora and their UAV is totally different from model on the photo.
Moreover, why should they a). use NG model b).for the tests in late '16 - early '17

The UAV there is actually Lockheed's Fury. There were other UAVs under consideration.

 

[AeroFranz]

Can confirm all of the above. That's a motorless LM Fury. NG's TERN is a much larger T700-powered co-ax tail sitter, with lots of info available in the public domain.

 

[flateric]

The UAV there is actually Lockheed's Fury. There were other UAVs under consideration.

NG TERN from the beginning was a VTOL design to my knowledge, so I don't understand why you brought all that SideArm stuff here at all.

 

[flateric]

This is 'standart' NG factory desktop X-47B model for comparison (from Chad Slattery collection).
Scale I presume is 1/60.

 

[marauder2048]

The UAV there is actually Lockheed's Fury. There were other UAVs under consideration.

NG TERN from the beginning was a VTOL design to my knowledge, so I don't understand why you brought all that SideArm stuff here at all.

Because you don't understand what Tern is:

"SideArm is part of DARPA’s individual investment in Phase 1 research for Tern, a joint program between DARPA and the U.S. Navy’s Office of Naval Research (ONR). Now that demonstration of the capture system is complete, DARPA is working to identify potential transition partners and exploring using SideArm with other UAS platforms"

emphasis mine.

 

[flateric]

I perfectly understand what TERN is, I don't understand why have you decided that unknown cranked kite model has any TERN connection.

 

[marauder2048]

I don't understand why have you decided that unknown cranked kite model has any TERN connection.

Because of the other Cranked Kite model that DARPA has shown as part of TERN (SideArm) effort.

 

[Sundog]

I was thinking it looks more like an unmanned subsonic version of their unmanned supersonic strike concept.

par me? which one?

The fuselage, at least from the bottom, in planform, reminds me of this.

 

[flateric]

The fuselage, at least from the bottom, in planform, reminds me of this.

Really??

 

[flateric]

I don't understand why have you decided that unknown cranked kite model has any TERN connection.

Because of the other Cranked Kite model that DARPA has shown as part of TERN (SideArm) effort.

So if any airframe is cranked kite it has TERN connection? Perfect logic here.

 

[marauder2048]

I don't understand why have you decided that unknown cranked kite model has any TERN connection.

Because of the other Cranked Kite model that DARPA has shown as part of TERN (SideArm) effort.

So if any airframe is cranked kite it has TERN connection? Perfect logic here.

Given the planform advantages and the requirements it makes perfect sense.

 

[flateric]

Oh, tell me that you know specific TERN RFP in regards of SideArm supported UAV "advantages and the requirements". Hint: may be system is being created to support existing UAV types?

 

[marauder2048]

Oh, tell me that you know specific TERN RFP in regards of SideArm supported UAV "advantages and the requirements". Hint: may be system is being created to support existing UAV types?

Oh, tell me that you understand that DARPA/ONR solicited TERN under a BAA not an RFP.

 

[flateric]

That's surely dramatically changes meaning of my question, lol!

 

[marauder2048]

That's surely dramatically changes meaning of my question, lol!

Someone who claims to understand TERN should be acquainted with the terminology right?

 

[AeroFranz]

SideArm (the launcher and recovery system), and its associated vehicle, were Aurora's submission for TERN.
The Navy balked at the idea of having a large device taking up real estate on the helidecks and picked NG's VTOL solution, which needs none (however their vehicle is not as good as if they had a CTOL solution like SideArm allows).
For TERN, the Aurora UAV was over 4,000 lbs, so it required a large SideArm. A smaller device, shown in the picture, was built and tested because it was recognized that if you could make the UAV smaller, then it wouldn't be as bad. Hence the tests with Fury, which is in the 400-500 lbs class.

 

[marauder2048]

And NG previously had no UAV in this class. Now, apparently, they do.

 

[flateric]

Oh, NG don't have the scalable Bat family? Didn't know about that.
Having 220 lbs Bat 12 and 350 lbs Bat 12+2, they have decided to invest own money to 400-500 lbs totally new jet airframe. Sure.

 

[marauder2048]

Oh, NG don't have the scalable Bat family? Didn't know about that.
Having 220 lbs Bat 12 and 350 lbs Bat 12+2, they have decided to invest own money to 400-500 lbs totally new jet airframe. Sure.

BAT stopped scaling years ago (it was an acquisition btw). Meanwhile, SideArm can retrieve UAVs in the 900 lbs category.
"Jet Airframe"... Care to point out Fury's propeller in the SideArm stills/video?

And of course, no one has ever quickly built a small jet powered UAV before...

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20151109005240/en/Aurora-Flight-Sciences-Stratasys-Deliver-World%E2%80%99s-Jet-Powered

 

[flateric]

OK, so NG has new classified jet-powered 900 lbs class cranked kite planform UAV developed for using with TERN SideArm and LM has a classified jet version of a Fury for TERN because we don't see propeller on SideArm test video.
Did I get you right?