DARPA's VTOL concept plane - 24 propellers

Ron Czapala

http://www.popularmechanics.com/flight/drones/a19769/darpa-vtol-concept-aurora-lightningstrike-phase-two/

DARPA's VTOL X-Plane program is a quest to make the vertical takeoff plane into something more modern and less sluggish. The project hopes to find a design that can boast speeds of up to 460 mph, high hover efficiency, and the ability to carry a load that's near half of its own gross weight.

lardom

I wonder if 24 brushless motors with an engine to supply electrical power would work.

erco

I wonder how they knew when to stop adding propellers. At that point, what's another 30 feet of wingspan?

MikeDYur

It looks like it would drop like brick if that one engine failed, no gliding to a safe landing. The coolest GIF I have ever seen.

Publison

erco wrote: »

I wonder how they knew when to stop adding propellers. At that point, what's another 30 feet of wingspan?

They could have stopped at 10:

http://sploid.gizmodo.com/watch-a-10-engine-drone-transform-from-a-helicopter-int-1712581472?utm_campaign=socialflow_gizmodo_facebook&utm_source=gizmodo_facebook&utm_medium=socialflow