When the UFO came through Town: Kansas and Oklahoma

Traveling the back state and national highways, a long-haul truck carried one wide, long and bizarre load in December of 2011 down U.S. High 77 in Kansas. Destination: Maryland. 

 

X-47B - - Crew: None aboard (semi-autonomous operation)

Length: 38.2 ft (11.63 m)

Wingspan: 62.1 ft extended/30.9 ft folded[43] (18.92 m/9.41 m)

Height: 10.4 ft (3.10 m)

Empty weight: 14,000 lb (6,350 kg)

Max. takeoff weight: 44,567 lb (20,215 kg)

Powerplant: 1 × Pratt & Whitney F100-220U turbofan [Northrop Grumman X-47B | Military Wiki | Fandom]

Kansas long haul load permits/requirements:

Kansas oversize permits - regulations and information (heavyhaul.net)

Kansas Laws of Weight: Compilation of Existing State Truck Size and Weight Limit Laws - Appendix A: State Truck Size and Weight Laws - FHWA Freight Management and Operations (dot.gov)

December 11, 2011

Why it was not shipped aboard a transport plane is not answered in any of the reports (one article seemed to be the source for most printed entries regarding this event).  The spokesman from the manufacturer was vague on many points. The unmanned drone, he said, was not easy to fly through commercial flight space. So where was it going to be used?  The back roads no doubt made the journey to Maryland a long haul in truth.

December 12, 2011

The same object was witnessed in Oklahoma as well. Oddly, there appear to be few mentions of it being seen prior to this trip down HWY 77 and through the major towns of Arkansas City and Winfield. Surely, it garnered a lot of attention traveling the back roads all the way to Maryland?