| Tango01 | 22 Mar 2014 9:38 p.m. PST |
… Fly Like A Plane And Hover Like a Helicopter. "* Four companies have been chosen to develop concepts
* A winner is expected to be chosen in 2015 – with the first test flights scheduled for 2017
* Will be able to fly as fast as a conventional plane, but land anywhere like a helicopter The US Military has revealed plans for a radical new type of military aircraft – which can take off and land like a helicopter, but fly like a plane. Called the VTOL X-Plane, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has awarded four firms contracts to develop concept planes. It is hoped they will begin flight tests in 2017, and be able to fly as fast as a conventional plane, but also land anywhere like a helicopter…"
Video
YouTube link Full article here.
link Hope you enjoy!. Amicalement
Armand |
| Sajiro | 23 Mar 2014 4:15 a.m. PST |
I wonder if Batman knows we're stealing his plane? I smell a lawsuit from Wanye Enterprises. |
| David Manley | 23 Mar 2014 5:58 a.m. PST |
I was thinking along the same lines, but Skynet…… |
| Recovered 1AO | 23 Mar 2014 7:54 a.m. PST |
DARPA does a lot of Gee Whiz let's try this SF trope stuff. When it works it is great but a lot of it runs up against current reality and only provides "lessons for future development" and little else. |
| John the OFM | 23 Mar 2014 8:56 a.m. PST |
That has "overrun" written all over it.
Nothing about it says "cheap". Wait until the Brass gets hold of it. It will have to carry nukes, go supersonic and then underwater. |
| Deadone | 23 Mar 2014 4:40 p.m. PST |
Lots and lots of waste of cash like rail guns, lasers etc. The US can't afford to upgrade current equipment, is closing down bases, abolishing units and standing others down. And then they spend lots of money on toys that never enter service. |
| Recovered 1AO | 23 Mar 2014 5:41 p.m. PST |
The purpose of a bureaucracy is… Gracias, Glenn |
| Lion in the Stars | 23 Mar 2014 6:30 p.m. PST |
The idea behind some of this Wayne Enterprises/StarkTek stuff is to be able to have a smaller force effectively in more places at once. Faster transit time for the "helos" means you can mass your forces faster, and/or deploy them farther in the same time. |
Chortle  | 23 Mar 2014 7:51 p.m. PST |
Why don't they just adapt the civilian version?
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| GROSSMAN | 24 Mar 2014 11:32 a.m. PST |
Looks like another "jack of all trades master of none" POS that we can't afford. |
| flicking wargamer | 24 Mar 2014 11:44 a.m. PST |
Don't we have this already: link |
| Lion in the Stars | 24 Mar 2014 1:28 p.m. PST |
@flicking: I think this one is supposed to be the replacement for the H60 Blackhawks (DARPA wants a useful load of ~4,500lbs, give or take 500), so it should be ~ half the size of an Osprey. So imagine a squad helicopter that can exceed 400 knots. |
| Deadone | 24 Mar 2014 4:38 p.m. PST |
The idea behind some of this Wayne Enterprises/StarkTek stuff is to be able to have a smaller force effectively in more places at once.Faster transit time for the "helos" means you can mass your forces faster, and/or deploy them farther in the same time.
Problem is the US wants to go back to focus on conventional capabilities against conventional opponents(i.e. Asian Pivot). That means larger, not smaller forces. |
