Subject: Seen at Mojava

Today this morning. Long range high altitude piston engine.

Paul Lamar
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Looks like an updated composite Cessna 337!
Marc

http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2011/05/navy-northrup-grumman-unveils-new-intel-aircraft-050911/

SAN DIEGO — Defense giant Northrop Grumman on Monday unveiled its Firebird aerial system built to accommodate multiple cameras, communications relays and other sensors that will enable it to multitask — and even be controlled simultaneously by multiple controllers.

Firebird, a 5,000-pound aircraft with a 65-foot wingspan, features an internal modular payload with a universal, “plug and play” interface that can support multiple sensors including high-definition video cameras and infrared imagery for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions.

Firebird is designed for both manned and unmanned flight that is interchangeable, so it can be flown like an airplane or controlled like a drone, Crooks said.

Although it is powered by a general aviation engine, Firebird’s wide wingspan makes it akin to a high-performance glider, Crooks said. Unmanned, it will be able to provide “persistence presence,” flying up to 40 hours — depending on payload. “It combines speed with glide capability,” he said, noting it can reach altitudes of 25,000 to 30,000 feet and fly 80 knots as it loiters for ISR missions or up to 200 knots in high-speed dashes. It has a multi-fuel system that uses aviation gasoline and motor gasoline and an electronic control system that enables efficient fuel burning, he added.

Paul Lamar