Northrop Tacit Blue, head-on, DARPA, USAF, Photo

Code Number:: TARV01P15_11
Title:: Northrop Tacit Blue, head-on, Technology Demonstrator Aircraft, DARPA, USAF, Museum; This one and only Northrop Tacit Blue aircraft made its first flight in February 1982 and by the end of the program in 1985 flew 135 times. It had a digital fly-by-wire flight control system to help stabilize the plane. It had a single flush inlet on the top of the fuselage to provide air to its 2 turbojet engines. The aircraft was placed on display in May 1996.

From the plaque mounted in the cockpit - Tacit Blue (Whale) Pilots, Mr. Richard Thomas, Col. (Select) Don Cornell, Lt. Col. Russ Easter, Lt. Col. Ken Dyson, Major Dan Vanderhorst

Span: 14.7 meters, (48 feet 2 inches)
Height: 3.2 meters, (10 feet 7 inches)
Length: 17 meters, (55 feet 10 inches)
Weight: 30,000 pounds
Engines: 2x Garrett ATF3-6 high-bypass turbofan engines, 5,440 lbf (24 kN) each

Armament: None
Crew: 1x
Cost: Approx. $165 million
Operational Speed: 287 mph/250 knots
Operating Altitude: 25-30,000 feet
Thrust/weight ratio: 0.36
Keywords:: Tacit Blue (Whale), have Blue, Experimental, historical, Research Aircraft, Flying Machine, Pioneers of Aviation, history, Archive
Image by:: Wernher Krutein
: Caption Disclaimer

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