Message posted by Vahe Demirjian (Member since 04/28/2022) on February 09, 2024 at 9:48:38 PST:
A gap of six design numbers between Q-28 and MQ-35 in the Q-for-UAV designation sequence resulting from social media posts reporting the allocation of MQ-35 to the K-MAX begs the question of whether there are DoD nomenclatural records or other preliminary sources in the public regarding the Q-29 to Q-34 design numbers, so that's why I'm speculating that one designation in the Q-29 to Q-34 designation has been reserved for the unmanned P-ISR flying wing informally dubbed "RQ-180". The Lockheed X-7, Aerojet X-8, Bell X-9, North American X-10, and the unbuilt Convair X-11 and X-12 (the latter two which were intended to test the flight performance of the initial five-engine design of the Atlas ICBM but were canceled after the availability of thermonuclear warheads led to the Atlas design being downsized) were the first unmanned aerospace vehicles to be given X-for-Experimental design numbers, so allocations of X-series designations to unmanned aircraft have never been rare. It's unclear why the Northrop Grumman Great Horned Owl was designated RQ-72, because the number 28 was next in the Q-for-UAV designation sequence, in which the Great Horned Owl should have been designated RQ-28.
In Reply to: Re: Missing X-series and Q-series designations possibly used for NGAD tech demonstrators and new secret Lockheed Martin spy drone? posted by quellish on February 08, 2024 at 21:11:19 PST:
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