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

My gestalt is there has been an absolute revolution on the manufacturing side: automation plus 3-D printing of parts that shed weight through many ways: novel materials, smart lattices vs solid structures, CMC and ultra highly cross linked PE are just the tip of the materials revolution.

To say nothing of speculations that some new capabilities enabled by continuous high power electrical generation such as one could theoretically achieve by coupling laser microwave approaches to shape the oncoming flow via heating which could then do cool things like delay or redirect shocks to reduce supersonic aerodynamic stress at critical points of the airframe at specific places of the flight envelope that might allow a much lighter structure etc etc.
 
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Northrop ATDC was closed down many years ago, it was located in Rancho Palos Verdes, had been there a few times in the late 80s, early 90s when I was at ASD-Pico. Got to see the MX missile inertial navigation system, a sphere floating neutrally buoyant in an amniotic fluid, very cool, among other really impressive things.
 
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Training_Dummy said:
My gestalt is there has been an absolute revolution on the manufacturing side: automation plus 3-D printing of parts that shed weight through many ways: novel materials, smart lattices vs solid structures, CMC and ultra highly cross linked PE are just the tip of the materials revolution.

To say nothing of speculations that some new capabilities enabled by continuous high power electrical generation such as one could theoretically achieve by coupling laser microwave approaches to shape the oncoming flow via heating which could then do cool things like delay or redirect shocks to reduce supersonic aerodynamic stress at critical points of the airframe at specific places of the flight envelope that might allow a much lighter structure etc etc.
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Agreed--I hope that can be done for re-entry one day. An ablative cover that can still allow RF to stand off the bowshock even further---something.
 
The second image is AI generated. Those two black protrusions aft of the structure are intakes so it doesnt make sense that the second structure has framework inside. You can see at the front where it exits. Much like a serpentine. Additionally, the two days underneath are weapons bays. Use this F-22 schematic of a bulkhead from reference. Notice the similarities where the intake and weapons bays are similar, but obviously different. Other items of interest here as mentioned before is that the top of the composite structure at the back starts to bifuricate indicating this frame is for a two engine aircraft.
 

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Afterthought... So Northrop dropped out of the PCA component right? Could they be subcontracted to produce components for Boeing's F-47? If so, could this be a piece?
 
At this stage, it´s impossible to say with certitude what projects they were referring to in this video describing their achievements in 2025. It could either be the F-47 or the F/A-XX. But mind that it wouldn´t be out of this world to think they would be participating in an international project as advisor. This video extract depicts only what seems to be a test assembly with integration of digital prototyping solution. They could even have re-used an older assembly for the purpose of demonstrating a new process.
Hence what we see could be part of Northrop rejected prototype for NGAD, the F-47 itself or elements of either F/A-XX, GCAP, FCAS...

At least we could all agree it´s not the J-36 ;)
 
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Any possibility this could be an insert to lengthen an airframe to hold a bit more fuel.

If so, it won't be an exact copy of any extant wingbox/whatever.
 

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