The second X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System produced by Northrop Grumman has successfully completed a series of structural proof tests of the jet's airframe at the company's aircraft assembly facility in Palmdale, Calif. In the photo, technicians verify that the hydraulic jacks that push and pull on the airframe surfaces to simulate static and dynamic loads are installed properly. The tests prove that the tailless aircraft can withstand the structural stresses and strains associated with landing and taking off from the moving, pitching deck of an aircraft carrier.
