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Barrakuda technology advances
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| 14 February 2006 |
Images of the EADS Barrakuda stealth unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) demonstrator indicate that the company's work on stealth may have outpaced that of BAE Systems, Saab and Dassault. Barrakuda is a much larger, heavier and more sophisticated aircraft than the very small test vehicles that other European companies have unveiled to date.
Barrakuda has an estimated wingspan of 8.75 m and an overall length of 9.5 m, in the same class as the 5,500 kg Boeing X-45A demonstrator. It is reportedly powered by a Snecma/Turbomeca Larzac engine, but the size of the exhaust suggests a larger engine (such as the Honeywell F124 used on the X-45A, or a Rolls-Royce/Turbomeca Adour).
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