Virginia Company to Build Plane That Takes Off Vertically
Jackie Reddy March 17, 2016
Aurora Flight Sciences has been awarded the government contract to build LightningStrike, a new generation of VTOL craft.
It sounds like science fiction, but a Virginia aeronautical engineering firm has just won a contract to build a six-ton remote-controlled unmanned aircraft that can hover in midair.
Earlier this week, Manassas, Va.-based Aurora Flight Sciences beat big name firms like Boeing and Sikorsky with its successful bid to build LightningStrike for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the research arm of the Pentagon.
An experimental craft, LightningStrike is about the size of a business jet and boasts 24 propellers with moveable wings, which allow it to float in the air.
While vertical takeoff and landing planes (VTOLs) like the V-22 and MV-22 Osprey are currently in operation, DARPA is looking develop new generation technology to enhance the capabilities of this type of craft.
Agile and able to land and take-off without a runway, this kind of vessel is well-adapted for combat situations. However, current models aren’t especially speedy or efficient in terms of fuel, but LightningStrike boasts a hybrid electric propulsion system and has been designed to be faster.
Aurora chairman and CEO Dr. John Langford commented on the design in a statement, saying, “Instead of taking two big powerful thrusters, we have 24 of them. We distribute that same energy over 24 fans … [this] has less blast, less heat, is quieter and less disruptive, which means it can get into places that the V-22 can’t. Part of the idea of this is to make it more practical.”
While test flights are expected to begin around 2018, building the vessel won’t necessarily be straightforward, with the horizontal design and power supply presenting particular challenges.
As a concept, it’s unlikely that LightningStrike will replace the Osprey anytime soon. However, DARPA hopes that this vessel will help to inform the development of future military aircraft.
Dr. Ashish Bagai, program manager of DARPA’s Tactical Technology Office said, “What you’re starting to see here are designs and configurations and applications of technologies that have never been done before. I think we have our work cut out for us.”
[Artist rendering via Aurora Flight Sciences]
I don't understand what "sounds like science fiction" about it. It seems like just a combination of various existing features from conventional planes, VTOL planes, and helicopters taken to the next level.