Triton wing durability tested

The wings on the Navy MQ-4C Triton unmanned surveillance aircraft are strong enough to descend from high altitudes, even in poor weather, Northrop Grumman said Monday. Based on the Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle, Triton's wings are made by Triumph Aerostructures - Vought Aircraft Division. Each wing, made of a single piece of composite material, was tested in Dallas by bending the wing to the point that it breaks. The process revealed that the wing is 22 percent stronger than the Navy’s requirement. The entire airframe will be fatigue tested in 2017. The Navy plans to buy 68 Tritons, plus two demonstrators. (Source: IHS Jane’s 360, 11/03/13) Gulf Coast note: Central fuselage work on the Triton is done in Moss Point, Miss.