Model 437 Vanguard conducts first flight: the newest Scaled Composites Experimental Aircraft

In partnership with Northop Grumman, Scaled Composites is proud to announce the first flight of their most recent vehicle, the Model 437 Vanguard.

The Model 437 began as a conceptual design, based on the Model 401, exploring a multi-mission low-cost attritable aircraft. The Model 437 Vanguard is a crewed variant of the original concept powered by a single Pratt & Whitney 535 engine with approximately 3,400 pounds of thrust. The aircraft has a wingspan of 41 feet and is 41 feet long with a gross takeoff weight of 10,000 pounds. After completion of envelope expansion, the M437 Vanguard will have a range of approximately 3000 nautical miles and an endurance of 6 hours. The aircraft can carry up to 2,000 pounds of payload in multiple locations including an internal weapons bay sized to accommodate two AIM-120s.

Scaled Composites leveraged extensive experience in rapid design, fabrication, and test of experimental aircraft to develop the Model 437 Vanguard. This included a clean sheet aircraft design, aerodynamic and structural analysis, fuselage and empennage fabrication, aircraft assembly, systems integration, and ground and flight test execution. Northrop Grumman defined, developed, built and verified the removable wing assemblies using advanced digital tools and processes as part of their Digital Pathfinder effort.

Brian Maisler, Test Pilot, said: "Today's first flight was in a good jet with a great team: this is the best part of my job. Thanks to everyone and their two years of hard work culminating in making this an uneventful and fun day."