On Mon, 22 Sep 2003 03:14:39 GMT, Chad Irby wrote:

In article ,
Scott Ferrin wrote:

This weeks AW&ST has an article on a new UCAV that Lockheed is working
on that would be launched from an F-22. It would have a range of a
thousand miles, landing gear etc. etc. It would weigh about 7500
pounds and each fighter would carry two. My question is this: The
published information I've seen lists the F-22's pylons as being rated
at 5000lbs so how would it carry a 7500lb munition? Would they just
severly restrict it's G loading when carrying it? Use some kind of
adapter that attaches to BOTH hardpoints on a wing and carry it in the
middle? Or would they beef up the wing?

Are you sure it said "launched," and not "controlled from?"

If it really meant "launched," maybe they mistyped "750 pounds."



". . .The low-observable, 7,500-lb. unmanned aircraft will be
physically small enough that one can be carried under each wing.

The initial concept of operations is that a two-ship formation would
launch and control four UAVs. Since F/A-22s have only one crewman,
it's likely that one pilot would monitor the UAVs while the other
maintained situational awareness of threats on the airborne
battlefield. Nonetheless, the pilot workload is expected to be less
than that required for an AIM-120 air-to-air missile launch.

Minion is to have a range of up to 1,000 naut. mi. so it can fly back
to a forward operating base where it alights on its own retractable
landing gear.

Each UAV is to have a weapons bay large enough to carry four 220-lb.,
precision-guidance, small-diameter bombs. . ."