US UAV and UCAV Technology

Is there any statement, from anyone in the USAF, that would lead one to believe that NGAD demonstrator was not focusing on product performance? One would think that any demonstrator would be focused at retiring major areas of risk associated with the overall vision. Sure, a new design and production process may be one such thing, but it likely wouldn't be the only thing they would have liked to focus on.
Nothing confirmed, but there was a lot of speculation that a lot of the records that were supposedly broken producing the demonstrator (whatever form it took) were related to production and not performance. It would be in keeping with the digital century series mantra the program is pushing. But no, nothing is known in open source.
 
@Josh_TN :
Wait wait.
There is no lifting body effect
There is a lower keel
The Wing sweep angle is acute.

This design smells speed all over it (low alpha cruise, fairly small governs, axis symmetrical body (or somewhat), high sweep). This is not our usual subsonic suspect.
I assume the wings were folded for carriage. Isn't the engine class this thing uses no where near what would be required to be super sonic?
 
Engines are a couple of TDI's small turbojets, either J85s (200 lbf) or J7 (70lbf). That's not a lot of thrust.
The unusual number of engines may be simply due to the fact that there are so few small turbojets that in order to get your right amount of thrust you need more than one. For example, i don't think there is much available between 200 and 600 lbf, so if you need 400 lbf, voila, you use two J85s.
Also, as pointed out, i don't see any attempt at area ruling. I think this is firmly subsonic.
 
Also, as pointed out, i don't see any attempt at area ruling. I think this is firmly subsonic.
Pretty low fineness ratio unless there's a rocket in its ass. Although the folding lugs are nice.

Difficult to see what the point of this is apart from some pretty niche missions
 
Regarding speed racer, I am wondering if that is not a very low nap of the earth high speed vehicle that could be released at very low alt.
See the ventral keel, the high wing loading wing, the ejected part after launch to garentee the optimal placement and perfect calibration of governs as adding stability by aft high drag index, the attention to horizontal aspect stealth (side fuselage geometry)...
 

 
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An illustrative concept of a future unmanned aircraft that might field capabilities of the type that the USAF is now seeking for its Next-Generation Multirole Unmanned Aircraft System Family of Systems requirement. (Lockheed Martin)

 
Working as part of a layered approach to counter-drone defense, MORFIUS units will be launched at hostile drones, or drone swarms, and then disable them in close proximity, with potentially a gigawatt of microwave power — or, as Lockheed put it, a million times the power of a standard 1,000-watt microwave oven.
 
Disclosed in a 26 March US Department of Defense (DoD) contract modification for USD98.9 million to increase the scope of low-rate initial production (LRIP) Lot 5, the reintroduction of one aircraft for the US Navy (USN) effectively removes the prospect of Northrop Grumman having to pause production across Lots 6 and 7 for two years until FY 2023. This had been touted due to budgetary constraints.

“[Northrop Grumman is] pleased to announce Congress reintroduced a production aircraft back in to the FY 2021 budget as part of LRIP Lot 5, which will prevent a production pause,” a company spokesperson said.
 
XQ-58A Valkyrie drone successfully launched an even smaller unmanned aircraft from inside its internal weapons bay on March 26, the U.S. Air Force announced Monday.

photo: Wright-Patterson AirBase
 

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Some images from 40th Flight Test Squadron with what looks like the MAKO that was modified to carry the Skyborg autonomous software for Autonomous Attritable Aircraft Experiment. It was spotted with some modifications on top of the intake. Seems like the intake was modified to allow for something right on top of it.



 

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It was spotted with some modifications on top of the intake. Seems like the intake was modified to allow for something right on top of it.
Looks like they moved the IRST there that was previously on top
 

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