X-47B Completes First Carrier-based Arrested Landing

The X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System (UCAS) demonstrator completed its first carrier-based arrested landing on board USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) off the coast of Virginia July 10.

[TubberXMAN]

Pilots do also have a hero - the engineer :)

[jeffsmith]

I still like the old school grunts on the ground. That's where the fights really at

[gk]

I worked on this since 2009 out at the integration lab in Rancho Bernardo, CA. I "drove" the simulated Air Vehicle around with that device you can just see the fellow wearing on his forearm and waist. I catapulted and trapped many times as part of my testing. It was a pretty interesting job.

[spooky-c]

That's USN!!, Brand new history!!.

[alienpioneer]

The aircraft is "semi-autonomous" .Somebody "tells" him what to do. Unmanned means that it has no human on board. It has automated procedures like auto-recovery (by the way, f-35 has this one too, visit the lockeed martin channel), automatic takeoff and landing, etc.I guess there are many others (visit the "popular mechanics" magazine's page).But, finally it's a human who push the trigger. It's a technological marvel.

[HYDT]

Thank You for that outstanding & obvious observation! Now we know where the back of the line is.

[loiterbro]

this is increadible. what if one day we can all ride passenger aircrafts like this safely across the world

[gnomerdmca]

Follow the plane with the camera next time.

[stardude]

Why is the X 47 not the F 47 ??
It's still experimental ?

Are the systems autonomous or is it piloted from the carrier ?
It was idling before launch for a long time before the wave off

Is that normal on the Bush ?

[jrgogol]

I'm glad to see some happy comments below, drones are for the next generation, feels to me like just another step away from the chivalry of man to man combat, sterile. I can't help but to think there is some value in having some gut wrenching fear and skin in the game. Your future will be interesting kids!

[TonyWoody]

America is the greatest nation on the planet. Go Navy!!!

[bujoun]

I just wonder what kind of system will the UCAV use to take (and follow) directions from the deck crew before and after landing.

[Perktube]

who's the flight officer signalling to? There's no pilot. And did it catch # 3?

[FluffyWuffyFoofyWoof]

I have a silly question... if it is unmanned, WHO is the deck crew hand-signaling to at 0:40+ seconds?... :-/

[RickDockhard]

I know this is an old video, so I likely won’t get a response, but does anybody know why they didn’t raise the jet blast deflector behind the aircraft for takeoff? Just stood out to me as odd.

[Tim_]

I suppose but it does prove one thing we are going in the right direction

[IvanQuaglia]

the take off and landing was assisted or automatic?

[macyND]

They are gesturing too the greens. The greens are the men that check the flaps, air brake, cat launcher, etc...

[brucemcdonald]

I wonder what the first bit was, an intentional touch & go or a missed cable? And it seems funny that the yellowshirt is signaling toward the unmanned cockpit, though obviously it's meant for someone controlling the drone from somewhere else.

[clintonearlwalker]

We'll see how it does in the pouring rain, hurricane force winds, pitching deck, and a few bullet holes.