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Boeing has released an image of what it says is a working prototype for the U.S. Navy's MQ-25 competition. The Navy wants a drone capable of aerial refueling:
After piquing our interest with a cryptic post on Twitter, Boeing has given us the very first look at its prototype for the US Navy's MQ-25 Stingray unmanned tanker initiative. The Chicago-headquartered firm is now the second entrant in that competition, the other being General Atomics, to offer a look at their full concept and the first to show off an actual working prototype.
[...] Boeing says the drone is functional, though it hasn't flown. It will finish engine test runs on the ground ahead of deck handling demonstrations in early 2018. The Navy wants all of the competitors to submit their formal MQ-25 proposals by Jan. 3, 2018. [...] In all, Boeing's MQ-25 entrant's configuration is similar on a basic level to General Atomics' Sea Avenger concept, which itself was remodeled from the Predator-C/Avenger unmanned aircraft. Both designs include wide v-tails, a dorsal inlet, a chined fuselage, and so on.
Lockheed Martin has yet to publicly unveil any prototype, and Northrop Grumman pulled its X-47B out of the competition in October.
Boeing press release. Also at The Aviationist.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday December 25 2017, @05:07AM
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unmanned_Carrier-Launched_Airborne_Surveillance_and_Strike [wikipedia.org] leads to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_Phantom_Ray [wikipedia.org] where you get Length: 36 ft (11 m), Wingspan: 50 ft (15 m), but payload as 4500 pounds (2040 kg) while Navy wants 15000 pounds (6800 kg) for fuel job.
Meaning own fuel will count towards refueling (range is 1500 nmi, 2414 km, but Navy wants it to deliver fuel at 500 nmi, 800 km, so you have the other 2/3 to spare) or they will add extra tanks (replacing some weight from combat things like stealth paint) or it will be a bigger version.