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Shape Changing Plane In Development

Eh-Wire writes "The University of Florida has a short article on the "morphing wing" drone they are developing for a small aircraft that can swoop through parking garages, dive into alleys and land on balconies. Close-up video of seagulls in flight was the inspiration for the design of the drone. A still image of the drone shows an aircraft that looks surprisingly gull-like. A video shows the "wing morphing" in action on a static mounted drone. There is also a link to quite a few more videos in the article but it's not real obvious. Some guys get all the phun jobs!"

19 of 212 comments (clear)

  1. So how long... by Drooling+Iguana · · Score: 4, Funny

    So how long until they make one that can change into a giant robot?

    --
    ... I'm addicted to placebos
  2. Look! Up in the sky! by Prospero's+Grue · · Score: 3, Funny
    It's a bird!

    It's a plane!

    ...

    What the heck is that thing?

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    The opinion above is fiction. Any similarity to real opinions, including facts and logic, is purely coincidental.
  3. sooo... by Tepshen · · Score: 5, Funny

    Wonder plane powers activate! Form of .... a slightly different plane!

  4. Meh... by GypC · · Score: 3, Funny

    ... why not just use seagulls with lasers on their heads?

    1. Re:Meh... by haystor · · Score: 3, Funny

      There is no way a seagull could carry a shark.

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      t
  5. Bye bye birdie. by DrEldarion · · Score: 4, Funny

    Well, there goes the bird population in countries with paranoid leadership.

  6. Thankfully cows don't fly... by mopslik · · Score: 5, Funny
    ... seagulls in flight was the inspiration for the design of the drone.

    So, when flying over crowds of people, does this new plane drop its cargo every so often?

  7. Re:Look! Up in the sky! by Tackhead · · Score: 4, Funny
    > It's a bird!
    > It's a plane!
    > ...
    > What the heck is that thing?

    Holy fuck, it's an elephant! Either get a big umbrella, lay off the booze, or run for your lives!

  8. I see shape-changing planes on TV all the time by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    What's the big deal? I see footage of planes changing shape on those "historic aviation" shows on the Discovery Channel all the time.

    The planes tend to change shape in a spectacular fashion when something goes wrong and the ground intersects the plane's flight path.

  9. Seagull? by Red+Flayer · · Score: 3, Funny

    Oh, great, get a few of these and we have a whole robotic Flock of Seagulls.

    Talk about modern warfare, it's a whole new wave of drones.

    --
    "Trolls they were, but filled with the evil will of their master: a fell race..." -- J.R.R. Tolkien on Olog-hai
    1. Re:Seagull? by GypC · · Score: 4, Funny

      But Iran's so far away...

  10. Not how long but how high jump jump jump by WillAffleckUW · · Score: 3, Funny

    So how long until they make one that can change into a giant robot?

    It's not making it into a giant robot that's the problem, you simply connect the shape changing plane to the mobile gun platform torso to do that.

    It's making it big enough to carry the teenage pilots inside the giant robots that's taking all the time.

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    -- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
  11. Seagulls, eh? by dlefavor · · Score: 3, Funny

    Jonathan Livingston Drone just doesn't have the right mix of romance, awe, dread, and reverence if you ask me.

  12. complete seagull transformation by logandr · · Score: 4, Funny

    oh great - so now we'll have robot gulls fighting over french fries in the McDonalds dumpsters. Of course as robots they'll be able to rip the sides right off the dumpsters...

  13. Wait a minute! by Conspiracy_Of_Doves · · Score: 3, Funny

    This thing has hinges on its wings! What a gyp! Screw that, that isn't morphing. I want a plane where the wings are made of a single peice of some kind of high-tech polymer that changes shape when electricity is applied to it.

  14. Also... by macthulhu · · Score: 3, Funny

    It looks like they also designed a web server that can "morph" into a molten slag heap...

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    Someday a real rain is gonna come...

  15. First Powered Flight by kurt555gs · · Score: 4, Funny

    Im sorry , but just because the Smithsonian was PAID to never reveal that the Write Brothers were not the first to fly in a powered plane, it simply is NOT TRUE: See the following link: http://www.ctie.monash.edu.au/hargrave/pearse1.htm l

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    * Carthago Delenda Est *
  16. Re:This is exciting. by Peldor · · Score: 4, Funny
    WHY IS IT THAT A 1940's ERA war plane can KICK my Cessna's Butt?????????

    I know I'm just guessing here, but it's probably because you don't have 6 50-caliber machine guns mounted on your Cessna.

  17. They should make one where... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    They should make one where you have this regular-looking set of wings, and when you go into attack mode, these wings, or "foils," open up and take on the appearance of a large "X" when seen from the front or back.

    And I want to mount four of our new laser cannon on it. It should also be able to launch some photon torpedoes. And have a maintenance droid along for the ride.