Pentagon orders 'flying wing' development

United Press International - Security & Terrorism - Pentagon orders 'flying wing' development
EL SEGUNDO, Calif., March 23 (UPI) --
**how long do you think they've been testing it already?**

The United States has selected Northrop Grumman to design a supersonic "flying wing" aircraft that will be unmatched in flight efficiency.

The Oblique Flying Wing program will produce a tailless plane that has an eerie resemblance to a flying saucer but should offer the military a high degree of performance at both low and mach speeds.

An "X" version of the flying wing is tentatively scheduled for flight testing in 2010 or 2011, Northrop said in a news release Thursday.

The project is being run by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and will advance new designs that could be incorporated in future warplane designs.

"We look forward to working with DARPA and its government team to make aviation history," said Charlie Guthrie of Northrop Grumman Integrated Systems.

The aircraft's prime attribute will be a variable-sweep wing designed to change positions depending on the plane's airspeed. The idea is to make the plane as efficient as possible whether it is operating in a high-altitude, high-speed environment or flying low and slow.

"The supersonic design envisioned by the OFW program offers potential benefits for missions requiring rapid deployment, long range and long endurance," the company said in its release. "In theory, an oblique flying wing could maximize its performance in every flight regime."

soaring high above the desert near Edwards Air Force Base or, perhaps, Nevada's legendary Area 51.