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Programs › Northrop Grumman UCAS X-47

Aircraft program

Northrop Grumman UCAS X-47

In production
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Military single turbofan UAV with composite tailless structure.

Northrop Grumman UCAS X-47
Lift type
Fixed wing
Assembly
Factory-built
Control
Autonomous
Engine type
Turbofan
Application
Surveillance

Design & construction

The aircraft as engineered: what it is built from, the systems it flies with, and its configuration — each box a theme.

Airframe & structure
Primary structure
Composite
Wing
Composite
Landing gear
Retractable tricycle
Ice protection
None
Pressurisation
Unpressurised
Systems & avionics
Flight controls
Full FBW digital
Autopilot
3-axis
Avionics architecture
Integrated glass suite
Configuration & certification
Wing position
Mid
Planform
Swept
continued
Tail
Tailless
Certification
Military

Technical reference compiled with AI research; a value appears only where two independent research passes and a web fact-check agree. Gaps are deliberate.

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Type variants

VariantLaunch / first flightProduction endNotes
Northrop Grumman X-47A2001 / 2003Initial variant.
Northrop Grumman X-47B2009 / 2011Variant with upgraded airframer, for naval operations.

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