I am giving my son a remote control helicopter (nothing fancy, he’s only 4 1/2) for Christmas. What’s interesting is that when I was a child (or when I was a young version of a child) something like this would be a toy. Today I look at it entirely differently, much in the same way that I would a computer. It’s not a gadget or toy but rather something that could prepare him with skills that could be valuable as he gets older.

The X-47 was designed to be adept at long-range surveillance because of its large range and high flight ceiling. And despite being a beast—it will have a 62-ft wingspan and weigh around 45,000 pounds at takeoff—the X-47B is designed for stealth. This aircraft shows the Navy’s growing embrace of unmanned technology, including both unmanned underwater vehicles and aerial vehicles. But the X-47B would be a technological step forward—besides carrying stealth features, it is supposed to have the ability to execute some maneuvers, such as refueling in midflight, autonomously.

[From Northrop Grumman Unveils X-47B Navy UAV - Fighter Plane-Size UAV from Northrop Grumman Unveiled - Popular Mechanics]

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