Northrop Grumman produces music video of X-47B drone's first flight [Video]
If you enjoyed listening to the rock stylings of Kenny Loggins' "Danger Zone" while F-14 fighter jets zipped through the air during "Top Gun," you might like this.
Century City-based Northrop Grumman Corp. posted a music video of the first flight of its bat-winged robotic jet, dubbed the X-47B. Yes, that's right, a music video -- chock-full of jump cuts and guitar licks.
The flight, which took place earlier this month at Edwards Air Force Base in the Mojave Desert, was a significant milestone for the program. In the 29-minute test flight, the drone climbed to 5,000 feet.
The X-47B is being developed to take off from an aircraft carrier, drop a bomb on an enemy target and then land back on a carrier, controlled entirely by a computer. It's a big step up in technology because current combat drones, such as the Predator and Reaper, are controlled remotely by a human pilot.
But it's still years down the line before the X-47B will be carrier ready. In the meantime, we have the video.
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-- W.J. Hennigan
