Lockheed Martin Polecat
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| Polecat | |
|---|---|
 A picture of the Lockheed-Martin Polecat released at the Farnborough Air Show in 2006 |
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| Type | Unmanned Aerial Vehicle |
| Manufacturer | Lockheed Martin |
| Designed by | Lockheed Skunkworks |
| Maiden flight | 2005 |
| Status | Original Aircraft Destroyed |
| Primary user | Lockheed Martin |
| Number built | 1 |
| Unit cost | US$27 million |
The Lockheed Martin Polecat is an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle developed by Lockheed Martin's Advanced Development Programs division in Palmdale, California. "Polecat" is a colloquialism for a skunk, in an apparent reference to the popular "Skunk Works" nickname for the Advanced Development Programs division.
The Polecat, designated P-175, was funded internally by Lockheed Martin (as opposed to using United States Government funds) at the beginning of 2005, and was unveiled at the 2006 Farnborough Air Show.[1][2] It was developed over a period of 18 months.[3] [4] On December 18, 2006, the aircraft crashed due to an "irreversible unintentional failure in the flight termination ground equipment, which caused the aircraft's automatic fail-safe flight termination mode to activate," cited by Lockheed Martin (though it wasn't until late March that the company acknowledged it publicly).
[edit] Specifications
This aircraft article is missing some (or all) of its specifications. If you have a source, you can help Wikipedia by adding them.General characteristics
- Capacity: 1,000 lb (454 kg) of weapons or sensors
- Length: ()
- Wingspan: 90 ft (27.44 m)
- Height: ()
- Loaded weight: 9,000 lb (4,090 kg)
- Powerplant: 2× Williams International FJ44-3E turbofans, 3,000 lbf (13.38 kN) each
Performance
- Service ceiling 65,000 ft (19,817 m)
- Endurance: 4 hours
[edit] References
- ^ "Farnborough picture: Lockheed Martin Skunk Works releases picture of secret Polecat UAV." Flight International. July 19, 2006.
- ^ "Aviation Week ShowNews Farnborough Day 4 E-zine." Aviation Week & Space Technology. July 20, 2006.
- ^ "Skunk Works unveils secret Polecat UAV." Cook, N. and Sweetman, B. Jane's International Defense Review. July 19, 2006.
- ^ "Lockheed Unveils Secret Polecat UAV Design." Butler, A. Aviation Week & Space Technology. July 19, 2006.
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