Switchblade: Shape Shifting Plane

June 25th, 2006

By 2007 we might see (probably hear) a blueprint of the first unmanned plane that can attack its enemy at super sonic speeds. The Switchblade will be designed by Northrop Grumman and funded by a US government $10.3 mSwithbladehe Swithblade is named for it wings that ’swivel around 60 degrees’ transforming it from a normal looking plane to more of a missile. Repositioning the wings allows for greater stability by appropriately distributing the sonic waves that build up in front of the plane. A similar design was attempted back in ‘79, but proved too difficult to control by humans. The UAV’s computer will be able to make the necessary calculations and changes rapidly enough to manage the sonic speed. Darpa says we might see a working prototype by 2010.

Pentagon developing supersonic shape-shiftiPopsciassin [Popsci]

Entry Filed under: Spy