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Navy drone makes 1st carrier landing
 The Navy says it has landed an unmanned jet on the aircraft carrier George H.W. Bush today, marking the first time a drone has made an arrested landing on a carrier -- generally thought to be the toughest flying job in naval aviation. The Northrop Grumman X-47B demonstration vehicle landed on the Bush off the coast of Virginia today, following by nearly two months the first successful catapult launch from the same carrier. while the Chinese try to learn how to have a human launch... The "tailless" aircraft still used a "tailhook" to stop its motion once it touched down on the flight deck. Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus praised this milestone in the growth of unmanned military aviation. "By evolving and integrating new technology like the X-47B and the unmanned aircraft to follow, carriers will remain relevant throughout their 50-year lifespan," Mabus said in a released statement Wednesday. The Navy announced the successful landing at 10:45 a.m. Pacific time Posted by: Frank G 2013-07-10 |
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