Northrop Grumman Corporation has presented a full-scale model of the RQ-4 Block 10 Global Hawk to the Northland Community and Technical College Foundation of East Grand Forks, Minnesota.
The presentation was part of the Red River Valley Research Corridor Unmanned Aviation Systems Action Summit. The model was given to Northland Community and Technical College Foundation in support of unmanned systems educational programs at Northland and the University of North Dakota (UND). UND provides extensive UAS pilot training and Northland provides UAS aircraft maintenance training.
“We are extremely honoured and excited by this generous donation from Northrop Grumman,” said Dan Klug, executive director of the Northland Community and Technical College Foundation. “The cooperative spirit between Northland, UND and Northrop Grumman is a clear demonstration of the importance of unmanned aerial systems and its growth in our region.”
“For 11 years we have used this full-scale model at various events around the world and we are incredibly proud to provide this gift to the students of Northland and UND,” said George Guerra, vice president HALE Systems, Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems. “We are confident it will be of great use to the students and we are pleased to have it be a part of the Red River Valley community.”
The full scale model arrived at Northland the last week of April. The students of Northland’s Aviation Maintenance Technology and the Auto Body Programme refurbished and repainted the model, which will be displayed at Northland’s aviation campus in Thief River Falls, Minn.
Prior to its arrival at Grand Forks, the model travelled all over the world. Built in 2000 by Aurora Flight Sciences in West Virginia, the model made its debut at the Farnborough International Air Show in July 2000. Shortly after Farnborough, it was showcased at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., in front of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Since then, the full scale model has been displayed at numerous air shows and military bases in the United States and internationally. Last year, the model was featured at the Grand Forks Air Force Base open house.
The RQ-4 Block 10 Global Hawk has a wingspan of 116.2 feet, the length is 44.4 feet, and the height is 14.6 feet. It can fly up to 65,000 feet and has a maximum endurance of 32 hours.
Source: Press Release