Northrop Grumman’s Model 437 Demonstrator took its maiden flight on August 29th in Palmdale California. The aircraft has been quietly in development under Northrop Grumman Corporation’s subsidiary Scaled Composites. The aircraft will undergo additional testing in the coming months to further demonstrate Northrop Grumman’s digital engineering ecosystem.
A Digital Ecosystem Approach To Development
The Model 437 is part of a larger undertaking by Northrop Grumman. The aircraft is part of a Digital Pathfinder project demonstrating the companies full digital engineering ecosystem. Northrop Grumman’s full digital ecosystem reduces the need for engineering rework and offers cost savings for the customers. According to Northrop Grumman the digital ecosystem cut engineering rework and redesign to less than one percent compared to a 15-20% rate when using traditional methods. “We continue to refine these digital tools and capabilities to continuously improve them for future efforts,” said Colin Miller, vice president, engineering, Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems. “This project demonstrates how high-fidelity models within our digital ecosystem serve as a single source of truth to streamline testing and certification on future aircraft, significantly saving cost and time for our customer.” Further details on the Model 437 are still vague, however, the aircraft may already have a predetermined roll set forth by the military.
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