US Navy's latest stealth drone makes test cruise

Is it a bird? A plane? A UFO? People who may have seen the object near Edwards Air Force Base in California recently could have seen the US Navy's newest stealth fighter drone. PopSci reported the Navy's jet-powered autonomous X-47B flew in cruise configuration for the first time recently, with its landing gear stowed. Northrop Grumman is developing the X-4B for the U.S. Navy, which plans to use them on aircraft carriers, PopSci said. It said the the drone may soon serve as a robotic strike aircraft, much faster than the prop-powered Predator and Reaper. Before the recent flight, test flights were made without retracting the landing gear, making it hard to assess the drone's aerodynamic properties. Engineers will need to make further tests to gauge its performance under a various altitude, speed and fuel conditions. Once its development is complete, it looms as the first unmanned aircraft to take off and land on an aircraft carrier deck. The Navy is also studying drone intelligence, so each X-47B will not need to pester the tower when the pattern is full. — TJD, GMA News