The Pentagon's Supersonic, Shape-Shifting Assassin

grammar fascist writes "CNN reports that Northrop Grumman is under contract to build a new supersonic, shape-shifting bomber by 2020. The main innovation is in its single, rotating wing. From the article: '[It] will cruise with its 200-foot-long wing perpendicular to its engines like a normal airplane. But just before the craft breaks the sound barrier, its single wing will swivel around 60 degrees (hence the name) so that one end points forward and the other back. This oblique configuration redistributes the shock waves that pile up in front of a plane at Mach speeds and cause drag. When the Switchblade returns to subsonic speeds, the wing will rotate back to perpendicular.'"

Wizard Weapons

[Anonymous Coward]

Go America! Fuck Yeah!

Re:Shape shifting?

[Anonymous Coward]

I thought it was going to be about a Doppleganger

Silent but Deadly

[Anonymous Coward]

takes on a whole new meaning here...

Re:Shape shifting?

[Anonymous Coward]

Try opening your laptop at Mach 2.

Boondoggle

[Anonymous Coward]

I love the smell of burning pork in the morning.

Re:Budget Priortites

[cp.tar]

Rules of Acquisition say:

34. War is good for business

35. Peace is good for business.

34 comes before 35. All clear?

Supersonic, Shape-Shifting Ass

[Anonymous Coward]

In Firefox's Live Bookmark feed, the title says "The Pentagon's Supersonic, Shape-Shifting Ass ..."

Gotta love RSS...

[RemovableBait]

It might be just me with my widescreen, but the RSS dropdown thingy definitely said;

The Pentagon's Supersonic, Shape-Shifting Ass...

Somehow, I find my browser's interpretation more fitting...

Re:Isn't "Assassin" in the title inflammatory?

[Winterblink]

What's so inflammatory about it? I mean what do you think this thing's supposed to do, fly in at supersonic speeds to deliver a payload of Snickers bars to satisfy the hunger of the enemy?

Re:Swing Wing Designs

[HotBlackDessiato]

I thought the consensus was that moving wings were a Bad Idea?

As long as they remain attached somehow.

Why is this not a secret?

[Elegor]

This seems more like the kind of thing that should be developed under a cloak of secrecy at Area 51. My guess is that it's seen as an outside shot by DARPA, and the $10.3m pocket change they're throwing at it convinces me even more that they're just using this as "gosh ain't we high-tech and futuristic" publicity (or propaganda if you'd rather) blurb.

What seals it though is the 1950's Buck Rogers shiny treatment. Any self-respecting supersonic bomber has to have a mat-black paint job, surely?

Re:Shape shifting?

[bar-agent]

At Mach 2, my laptop is even better! Now it lifts and separates!

Re:Britain isn't a major European economy?

[MustardMan]

You really need more than a knee-jerk intellect to be using political terminology, so you don't end up just diluting the definitions.

Shut up, commie!

Re:Shape shifting?

[Gerzel]

No. The feat is not opening the laptop but keeping it closed, grasshopper.