Slashdot Mirror
DARPA Moves Ahead With Radical Vertical Take-Off Aircraft (networkworld.com)
coondoggie writes: DARPA took one step further in building a radically different VTOL (Vertical Take-Off and Landing) aircraft that can fly fast and carry a big load. Specifically, DARPA awarded Aurora Flight Sciences the $89 million prime contract for Phase 2 of the agency's VTOL X-Plane program which looks to: achieve a top sustained flight speed of 300-400 kt, raise aircraft hover efficiency from 60% to at least 75%, present a more favorable cruise lift-to-drag ratio of at least 10, up from 5-6, and carry a useful load of at least 40% of the vehicle's projected gross weight of 10,000-12,000 lbs. DARPA said Aurora's Phase 2 design for the VTOL X-Plane envisions an unmanned aircraft with two large rear wings and two smaller front canards -- short winglets mounted near the nose of the aircraft. "A turboshaft engine -- one used in V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft -- mounted in the fuselage would provide 3 megawatts (4,000 horsepower) of electrical power, the equivalent of an average commercial wind turbine. The engine would drive 24 ducted fans, nine integrated into each wing and three inside each canard. Both the wings and the canards would rotate to direct fan thrust as needed: rearward for forward flight, downward for hovering and at angles during transition between the two," DARPA stated.
From the blurb:
"envisions an unmanned aircraft with two large rear wings and two smaller front canards -- one used in V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft -- mounted in the fuselage would provide 3 megawatts"
Huh?
From TFA:
"envisions an unmanned aircraft with two large rear wings and two smaller front canards—short winglets mounted near the nose of the aircraft. “A turboshaft engine—one used in V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft—mounted in the fuselage would provide 3 megawatts (4,000 horsepower) of electrical power"
Oh.
DARPA does not exist to make sensible, practical things. They are there to throw spaghetti on the wall and see if it sticks. I think they actually get in trouble if too many of their projects succeed: it means they weren't pushing the envelope enough.
Some fun numbers:
DARPA has a budget of $3bn.
NASA has a budget of $19bn.
The 2012 elections cost about $7bn.
The annual market for soft drinks in the USA is $98bn.
Sure. How much for a helicopter that can do 300-400 knots?
Why would anyone engrave "Elbereth"?
Also show me a helicopter with a 500 mile range.
Helicopters are slow and limited range though useful for what they are.
That is why the marines pushed the osprey so hard. A modern battle field can cover hundreds of miles in a day. An m1 Abrams can do 60 mph but even at 49 mph the front of a battle field can shift farther and faster a than helicopters can setup refueling depots.
i thought once I was found, but it was only a dream.
Unfortunately those require effective air superiority before they can be used. They are easily shot down by ground fire, and even a lucky foot soldier who hits the pilot during a turn can turn one into a fireball.
Uh, that's the story military contractors tell you. OTOH, we're currently bombing enemies with B-52s that are NOT getting shot down. We don't actually need stealth bombers. In fact, if you want to carpet bomb AND PUT THE FEAR OF GOD INTO PEOPLE, you want big loud bombers flying over targets. Similarly, helicopters actually work and they can go fast and haul lots of folks. And if you need to haul more people, build more helicopters. Seems to me aerotech is a solved problem.
War on the other hand, is not a solved problem. The US has the biggest godamned military in the world by a huge margin. How's that working out for us?
The democrats have plenty of welfare themselves. The fact is we aren't automated enough for socialism to work and we're too automated for pure capitalism to work. Frankly, the republican corporate welfare does more for sci/tech and society as a whole than the democratic form of welfare so if you don't like it you should at the very least not be on a site for nerds. "Corporate welfare" as you put it funds the bulk of science, hence feeding most of the people here.
Well, that's the first prototype for the HKs sorted then.