X-47B proof testing

This was the state of testing in July 2009, in the early stages of validating whether the X-47B could handle the stresses and strains of life at sea on an aircraft carrier. "Arrested landings, catapult launches, high winds, pitching deck, subsonic speeds, you name it--the operating environment of the carrier air wing is unforgiving," Scott Winship, a Northrop Grumman VP, said in a statement at the time. "The X-47B was built for these conditions, and as the results of the rigorous proof test show, the design of the aircraft is structurally sound for all aspects of carrier operations."