Meet the Air Force’s Newest X-PlaneAviation Week dropped a heck of a story yesterday when it revealed the Air Force’s newest X-plane, the X-56A.
The the flying wing is being designed by Lockheed Martin’s Skunkworks to test out the technologies that will allow a new crop of reconnaissance planes to stay aloft at high altitudes for long periods of times; think days or weeks.
Its removable wings, with a span of 28-feet are meant to test out a lightweight design (for engine efficiency) that can withstand serious wind gusts or potentially catastrophic wing flutter without falling apart.
The so called High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) class of UAV that the X-56A is paving the way for will one day serve as a aerial spy, communications and even navigation network, backing up satellites and ground networks.
For more info on the drone via AvWeek:
Read more:
Meet the Air Force’s Newest X-PlaneFrom Defensetech.org (DTEC)
