The unnamed aircraft will be tested in 2019 and could become the first aircraft designed by the Academy to be in service for the US Armed Forces, Popular Mechanics reported.
The current version of the aircraft is 40 feet long with a 24-foot wingspan and nine-foot vertical tails, according to the US Air Force. The aircraft also uses two General Electric J-85 turbojet engines, the same ones found in T-38 Talon jet trainer.
The project team included Air Force Cadets as well as faculty, government, and industry specialists. The team is currently testing the design in the Academy’s wind tunnel, investigating why during the testing the drone made a backflip and crushed. If the tests end up successfully in September 2018, the drones might be purchased by the Department of Defense or enter the prototyping phase.
“As far as we know, this is the first large ‘stealthy’ target drone,” said Thomas McLaughlin, director of the Academy’s Aeronautic Research Center, before adding, “We don’t know what goes on in less-public programs.”
