Stealth unmanned combat air vehicle
The Boeing Phantom Ray is an American demonstration
stealth
unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) developed by
Boeing using company funds. The autonomous Phantom Ray is a
flying wing around the size of a conventional
fighter jet , and first flew in April 2011. It will conduct a program of test flights involving surveillance, ground attack and autonomous
aerial refueling missions.
[2]
[3] The developers say it can carry 4,500 pounds (2,040 kg) of payload.
[4]
Design and development
The Phantom Ray project, called "Project Reblue" internally at Boeing, was first conceived in mid-2007, and started in earnest in June 2008. The project was secret within the company, except for a small number of executives and engineers, until May 2009.
[5]
Developed by the
Boeing Phantom Works , the Phantom Ray is based on the
X-45C prototype aircraft,
[6] which Boeing originally developed for the
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the US Air Force, and the US Navy
Joint Unmanned Combat Air Systems (J-UCAS) program in 2002. The Phantom Ray was not aimed at any particular military program or competition,
[7] although Boeing considered using the design as an entry for the Navy's
Unmanned Carrier-Launched Surveillance and Strike (UCLASS) program .
[8]
The Phantom Ray was unveiled on May 10, 2010, in
St. Louis, Missouri .
[3]
[9] In November 2010, low-speed taxi tests were carried out in St. Louis.
[10]
[11] The demonstrator aircraft was to perform ten test flights over six months, supporting missions such as intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; suppression of enemy air defenses; seek-and-destroy;
[12]
electronic attack ; hunter/killer; and autonomous aerial refueling.
[2] Boeing anticipated that the Phantom Ray would be the first of a series of new prototype aircraft.
[3]
The Phantom Ray was scheduled to make its
maiden flight in December 2010 from
NASA 's
Dryden Flight Research Center ,
[3]
[10] but this was later rescheduled, and the aircraft first flew on April 27, 2011, from
Edwards AFB ,
[13]
[14]
[15] having been carried there by the
Boeing 747
Shuttle Carrier Aircraft .
[13]
[15]
[16]
[17] The Phantom Ray flew to 7,500 feet and reached a speed of 178 knots,
[18] flying for a total of 17 minutes.
[19]
[20]
Specifications
The Phantom Ray being carried on the
Shuttle Carrier Aircraft in Missouri in December 2010.
Values for the X-45 are marked with an asterisk (*).
Data from Debut,
[3] Boeing backgrounder,
[21] Boeing X-45 page
[22]
General characteristics
Crew: None (UCAV)
Length: 36 ft (11 m)
Wingspan: 50 ft (15 m)
Max takeoff weight: 36,500 lb (16,556 kg)
Powerplant: 1 ×
General Electric F404 -GE-102D
Performance
Cruise speed: 614 mph (988 km/h, 534 kn) mach 0.93
Range: 1,500 mi (2,400 km, 1,300 nmi) *
Service ceiling: 40,000 ft (12,000 m) *
See also
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
Related lists
References
^
"Pictures: Phantom Ray first flight raises funding hopes" . Flight Global. May 4, 2011. Retrieved February 5, 2013.
^
a
b
"Boeing to Develop, Fly 'Phantom Ray' Technology Demonstrator"
Archived March 10, 2010, at the
Wayback Machine . Boeing. May 8, 2009. Retrieved February 6, 2013.
^
a
b
c
d
e Jackson, Randy.
"Phantom Ray makes its debut in St. Louis"
Archived May 14, 2010, at the
Wayback Machine . Boeing. May 10, 2010. Retrieved June 17, 2013.
^
"Phantom Ray Drone Makes Its Debut" .
Fox News . 24 March 2015.
^ Butler, Amy.
"Boeing Unveils ‘Phantom Ray’ Combat UAS Demonstrator" [
permanent dead link ] . Aviation Week , May 11, 2009. Retrieved February 6, 2013.
^
"Boeing's Phantom Ray – the 'Phoenix' of UCAVs"
Archived 2010-03-21 at the
Wayback Machine . Aviation Week . Retrieved February 6, 2013.
^
"Breaking: Boeing resurrects X-45C as 'Phantom Ray' testbed" . Flight Global, May 8, 2009. Retrieved February 6, 2013.
^
"US Navy delays UCLASS RFP" . Flight Global, December 11, 2012. Retrieved February 6, 2013.
^ Page, Lewis (May 11, 2010).
" 'Phantom Ray' robot stealth jet rolls out" . The Register . Retrieved May 12, 2010 .
^
a
b Doyle, Andrew (August 25, 2012).
"AUVSI: Boeing makes progress with unmanned programmes" . Flight Global. Retrieved February 6, 2013 .
^
"Boeing Phantom Ray Completes Low-speed Taxi Tests" . Boeing, November 22, 2010. Retrieved February 6, 2013.
^
"Phantom Ray Drone Makes Its First Flight, A Piggyback Ride on a Shuttle-Carrier 747" . 18 March 2019.
^
a
b Trimble, Stephen.
"Phantom Ray first flight raises funding hopes" . Flight International . May 4, 2011. Retrieved February 6, 2013.
^
"Video: Phantom Ray Drone Makes Maiden Solo Flight" . Popular Science . May 4, 2011. Retrieved February 6, 2013.
^
a
b
"Boeing Phantom Ray Takes a Ride on NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft" . Boeing. December 13, 2010. Retrieved February 6, 2013.
^ LaBelle, Kurt.
"Phantom Ray Takes A Piggy Back Ride On 747"
Archived December 17, 2010, at the
Wayback Machine . KTVI via fox2now.com, December 13, 2010. Retrieved February 6, 2013.
^
"Boeing Phantom Ray: The Future of Unmanned Terror in the Sky" . 3 May 2011.
^
"Boeing Phantom Ray Completes 1st Flight" .
^
"Boeing's Phantom Ray soars like a terrifying, unmanned eagle" . 18 July 2019.
^
"Boeing's Next-Gen Drone 'Phantom Ray' Takes Maiden Flight" .
Fox News . 24 March 2015.
^
Phantom Ray Backgrounder (PDF)
Archived March 6, 2010, at the
Wayback Machine . Boeing. February 2010. Retrieved June 17, 2013.
^
X-45 Joint Unmanned Combat Air System
Archived March 23, 2008, at the
Wayback Machine . Boeing. Retrieved June 17, 2013.
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