Oct 092022
Found in ridiculously low resolution online, this chart purports to provide data on a number of early-2000’s unmanned air vehicles. If it’s accurate, it provides good dimensional data for the Northrop and Lockheed UCAR programs, data I’ve not seen elsewhere. But I can’t confirm the accuracy of this. it appears to have been scanned from a physical original… perhaps a brochure, a meeting paper, a magazine article. Anyone?
This chart is from a Unicraft model kit of a 1/72 resin model of the Lockheed Martin UCAR design study. As you’ve mentioned elsewhere, the data for the Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin UCAR proposals appears to come from the September 2004 Flight Global news article. I think Unicraft took note of the report to include specs for the UCAR designs in the chart, because the X-45C shown in this chart was conceived in mid-2003 after the Navy’s UCAV-N and Air Force UCAV programs were combined into the J-UCAS program (which meant that Boeing’s replaced the full-scale X-45B design for the USAF and the X-46 design for the Navy with the X-45C for both services). The weapons load figure for the X-45A most probably applies to the X-45B, since the X-45A was strictly a tech demonstrator and the X-45B had the same airframe as the X-45A but would have been larger and represented the proposed operational derivative of the X-45 in weapons load.
Link:
http://www.unicraft.biz/on/ucar/ucar.htm
https://www.flightglobal.com/new-details-of-ucar-bids-emerge/56900.article
https://www.ebay.com/itm/233555525259
> the September 2004 Flight Global news article
It’s behind a pay wall. Can you confirm this is from there?
I found a news item from 2004 containing several specs for the Lockheed Martin UCAR proposal:
https://news.lockheedmartin.com/2004-09-27-Bell-Designs-Innovative-Compound-Helicopter-Concept-for-Lockheed-Martin-UCAR-Program
The Flight Global article provides specs for the UCAR proposals as follows:
“The Lockheed Martin air vehicle is expected to have a combat endurance of 4.5h with a full weapons load, but would also be capable of extended endurance operations of 9.5h. The compound airframe design would have a cruise speed of 170kt (315km/h). Total payload capacity, with weapons and sensors, is 320kg (700lb) …
The Northrop Grumman design is derived from the Kaman K-Max helicopter airframe, retaining twin counter-rotating main rotors. The aircraft would have an empty weight of 2,125kg and an armed take-off weight, based on carriage of four AGM-114 Hellfire missiles in internal bays, of 2,900kg, with maximum take-off weight at 4,000kg. Maximum endurance, using an auxiliary fuel tank, is 10.6h with a flight range of 1,780km (960nm). The aircraft’s total length, including rotor blades, would be 11m (35.8ft). Rotor diameter is 9.75m.”