Northrop Grumman Firebird

Firebird
Role	Intelligence gathering aircraft
National origin	United States
Manufacturer	Northrop Grumman
First flight	February 2011
Number built	1

The Northrop Grumman Firebird is an intelligence gathering aircraft designed by Northrop Grumman's Scaled Composites design shop which can be flown remotely or by a pilot. It was unveiled on May 9, 2011.^[1][2] It was first flown in February 2011 and is considered to be an optionally piloted vehicle (OPV).^[3][4]

Design

One of the last aircraft designs overseen by Burt Rutan, who retired in April 2011, Firebird is a medium-altitude long-endurance aircraft designed to fly up to 40 hours at a top speed of 230 miles per hour (370 km/h) at an altitude of 30,000 feet (9,100 m).^[1] The twin tailed aircraft has a pusher configuration and a long slender wing.^[5] It has a wingspan of 65 feet (20 m), a length of 34 feet (10 m), a height of 9.7 feet (3.0 m) and a payload capacity of 1,240 pounds (560 kg).^[6] It is powered by a Lycoming TEO-540 engine and has a maximum take off weight of 5,000 pounds (2,300 kg).^[7] The aircraft has hardpoints to carry weapons, though it is currently unarmed.^[8]

Reconnaissance capabilities

The Firebird is designed so that the aircraft is able to carry up to four modules of spy equipment simultaneously, on a separate system from that needed to control the plane, so that equipment can be easily swapped in and out.^[9] According to Rick Crooks, a Northrop executive involved in the project, this design means that "[i]t takes days or weeks to get a new payload [of equipment] integrated, instead of years."^[9] The aircraft has the ability to simultaneously view infrared imagery, gather real time high definition video, use radar and eavesdrop on communications.^[7]

Operational history

The idea of building an aircraft capable of being flown with or without a pilot was first floated 9 February 2009 by Rick Brooks, when he contacted Scaled Composites about the possibility of building such an aircraft.^[9] Scaled agreed, and on 9 February 2010 the aircraft made its first flight.^[9] In October 2010, the aircraft demonstrated its capabilities of collecting information from multiple sources simultaneously for the first time when it made a demonstration flight in Sacramento, California, for defense officials.^[7] On 9 May 2011 the aircraft was publicly unveiled for the first time, and between 23 May and and 3 June is scheduled to participate in the Empire Challenge, where it is planned to display its ability to carry multiple payloads and swith them out rapidly.^[7]

According to Northrop, the single aircraft built is considered to be operationally ready, beyond the prototype stage.^[7] At the time of the aircraft's public unveiling, there were early plans for a second aircraft to be built.^[7] If it enters production, construction of the Firebird is planned to move to factories in Palmdale, California or Moss Point, Mississippi, rather than the Scaled Composites facility.^[7]

See also

• Lockheed Martin RQ-170 Sentinel
• Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk
• General Atomics MQ-1C Grey Eagle

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Hennigan, W.J. (9 May 2011). "Onboard pilot optional with Northrop's Firebird spy plane". The Los Angeles Times. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-northrop-drone-20110509,0,1365932.story. Retrieved 9 May 2011. 
2. ^ Robbins, Gary (9 May 2011). "Northrop secretly develops spy plane in San Diego". The San Diego Union-Tribune. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/may/09/nothrop-secretly-develops-surveillance-plane-san-d/. Retrieved 9 May 2011. 
3. ^ Butler, Amy (9 May 2011). "Exclusive: Northrop Unveils Firebird MALE". Aviation Week & Space Technology. http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_channel.jsp?channel=defense&id=news/awx/2011/05/06/awx_05_06_2011_p0-318896.xml. Retrieved 9 May 2011. 
4. ^ Grady, Mary (May 2011). "Scaled's Latest: Pilot-Optional Spyplane". AvWeb. http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/ScaledsLatest_PilotOptionalSpyplane_204625-1.html. Retrieved 10 May 2011. 
5. ^ "Northrop Grumman unveils new intelligence aircraft that can be flown unmanned or by pilot". The Washington Post. 9 May 2011. http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/northrop-grumman-unveils-new-intelligence-aircraft-that-can-be-flown-unmanned-or-by-pilot/2011/05/09/AFEXywZG_story.html. Retrieved 9 May 2011. 
6. ^ "Firebird spy plane at a glance". The Los Angeles Times. 9 May 2011. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-northrop-drone-box-20110509,0,2370890.story. Retrieved 9 May 2011. 
7. ^ ^{a b c d e f g} Butler, Amy (May 6, 2011). "Northrop Grumman Aims To Take On Predator". Aviation Week & Space Technology. http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story.jsp?id=news/awst/2011/05/09/AW_05_09_2011_p52-316747.xml&headline=Northrop%20Grumman%20Aims%20To%20Take%20On%20Predator&channel=awst. Retrieved 9 May 2011. 
8. ^ Rosenberg, Zach (9 May 2011). "Northrop Grumman formally unveils Firebird". Flightglobal.com. http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2011/05/09/356428/northrop-grumman-formally-unveils-firebird.html. Retrieved 9 May 2011. 
9. ^ ^{a b c d} "Famed Spaceship Maker Gives Spy Drones a Try". Wired Magazine. 9 May 2011. Archived from the original on 10 May 2011. http://www.webcitation.org/5yc7oOwqr. Retrieved 11 May 2011.