UAV's today and tomorrow

[Dr Mordrid]

Popular Science has a neat slideshow of 30 current and future UAV's.

Some of the future models are pretty neat: loiter times of 10 days running on hydrogen, autonomous etc.

Link....

One of the more interesting ones is Excalibur - a US Army future hunter-killer drone.

Two images: the one in PopSci and another with a better view of its configuration....

As noted in the article the jet pivots from vertical (lift) to horizontal for flight. The wing lift fans retract into the wing for flight.

Strange looking bird.

[Evildead666]

Looks like one of those flying terminators a bit.....

[Dr Mordrid]

I thought the same thing....

[KRSESQ]

But can it find Sarah Conner?

(Sorry. Terrible joke. I apologize.)

Kevin

[Evildead666]

Has the top picture plane got extendable wings ?

edit : no, its for the rotation probably for the propellers.

doesn't look like they rotate though...?
maybe for maintenance/replacement ?

[Marshmallowman]

I think they are lift rotors(take off), they retract in flight.

[Dr Mordrid]

I think they are lift rotors(take off), they retract in flight.

Exactly - they're retractable lift fans for takeoff/landing. Once up and the jet pivots to the forward flight position they retract to reduce drag.