U.S. to develop vertical take-off flying cars for military
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Several U.S. companies are developing a four-person vertical take-off flyable and roadable vehicle for the military after the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) launched a 65 million-dollar program, according to a press release Tuesday by Terrafugia, Inc.
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Vertical take-off flyable cars |
The vehicle, known as the Transformer, or TX, would function like a Humvee on the ground while also providing helicopter-like mobility, the press release said.
The result will be "unprecedented capability to avoid traditional and asymmetrical threats while avoiding road obstructions," according to a DARPA announcement.
Intended missions for the flying car include medical evacuation, avoidance of improvised explosive devices, remote resupply, and Special Forces insertion. The vehicle will be able to travel 280 miles (448 kilometers) by land and air, using vertical take-off and landing to increase access to difficult terrain, and automating flight controls to enable operation by non-pilots.
Phase I of the five year, three-phase program will focus on conceptual design of both a prototype and a production vehicle. Phases II and III will focus on the design and manufacture of the prototype, which could be ready as early as first quarter 2015, the release said.
The work calls for Terrafugia's expertise in drive and flight integration, deployable flight surfaces, and automotive crash safety for an aircraft.
The press release quoted Chief Executive Officer Carl Dietrich from Terrafugia, Inc. as saying: "This DARPA program effectively leverages Terrafugia's core competencies and enables us to grow from a pure GA company to an emerging aerospace company with both general aviation and defense development programs. Our strong team of Terrafugia engineers with recent experience designing and building a dual purpose vehicle will bring a unique perspective to the TX program that is highly valued by DARPA and the other contractors on our TX team."
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