Frontline Aerospace Reveals V-STAR

Frontline Aerospace revealed their V-STAR project Tuesday at AUVSI's show in San Diego.

“With payload at the center-of-gravity, V-STAR ™ provides real mission flexibility,” he said, “since it can carry ITARS (intelligence/target acquisition/reconnaissance/surveillance) packages or weapons – then morph back into its primary role providing frontline combat logistics.”

frontlineaerospace.com...

With pics just for Natalie
Though I'm sure she has seen it by now.






An interesting new project from a relative unknown.

Good lord thats one ugly little beast!

just where is the payload supposed to go ? .... eeeewwww thats made my eyes bleed its so ugly.




Great find. Will be good if its able to do street clearence with the troops in a built up area.

I'm guessing external carriage. They said all sensor packages were going to be modular for rapid change out. And the schematics provided didn't leave much room internally. Payload was given at 400lbs. That doesn't sound like a lot, but is favourably comparable to the Eagle Eye, Hummingbird, Fire Scout projects, etc

400 lb payload gets you a fair load as you say.

A modular design to me seems to make alot more sense for support roles than some thing that does one job and no others.

imho, would make a great insertion aircraft if they made a bigger version - a two man pod for SF troops... would save alot of walking!

Normal payload goes in a cannister internally at the Center-of-Gravity (CG), a very innovative design. www.FrontlineAerospace.com notes the vehicle can be scaled down as well as scaled up to manned insertion or extraction. The website cites VTOL to altitude, transition to fixed-wing forward flight, multi-role/modular capabilities, optional "morphing" winglets for endurance, low heat and sound signature compared to helicopters, high fuel-efficiency and VTOL landing. j

Erm...


Most aircraft carry their payload around the centre of gravity...


Looks to me like a reworking of the old autogyro concept of the 1920s (only the vertical fan/rotor is powered in this case)

Kilcoo’s right, the payload is stored right on the CG which is in the centre of the fan believe it or not. Not the most ergonomic design.

Also the company is very new with apparently no experience in aircraft design whatsoever so whether this ever actually comes to anything is very much debatable at this stage. Personally I doubt they’ll get very far with it and if they do sales will be few and far between; the competition is just far better suited to the mission.

Team has over 70 cumulative years of aircraft design, including at three major aerospace companies. As confirmed by its Speed-Utility Index shown at FrontlineAerospace.com, V-STAR (tm) performs its mission better, faster, with more flexibility than other UAV or helicopter in the market.

reply to post by Mike_A


The press release and an other Aviation Week blog states that Darold Cummings, retired Boeing technical fellow and former head of Boeing Phantom Works Exploratory Concepts was the designer along with a cadre of other experienced engineers. The design team has over 120 years of aircraft design experience. The design can not be dismissed easily.

You're right, I was reading about the founder.

Still I can't see what the design offers that would provide a significant improvement over the competition.

I looked at the Aviation Week blog, and nowhere does it name the guy you referenced, Boeing Phantom Works or anybody else adding up to 120 years. Where online did you see this? The company's own website - www.frontlineaerospace.com - describe the management and board, including two AF generals and a venture capital attorney. The company president is a computer engineer who became an entrepreneur with previous companies. My guess is he has some contract designers to get things on paper then, as the Aviation Week blog does say, they are looking for a major partner to move forward. If it ever flies, based on info in the company website, the VSTAR gets places at 288 knots cruise. That's way faster than helicopters or other UAVs. Plus 400 pounds payload. That's pretty good. If it ever flies.

Went to the website and looked. Press release also no mention of Phantom Works, Darrel, etc.. Maybe hush, hush or something. Whre did u see online?

Can’t remember but I think I saw it a couple of places, Aviation Week was probably one. It related to the founder’s (Ryan Wood) background being the energy industry, not the rest of the company’s key personnel.

It looks like a fast machine (if it lives up to expectation) but would that make up for shortcomings that might be caused by the odd payload placement or the potential increased maintenance costs of the two separate fans. It would seem to me that something like the Fire Scout or A160 would be an easier choice.

No mention at all in Aviation Week of the Phantom Works or designer you named. Do you have any source at all? What else has this guy designed that anybody is flying in anybody's inventory? Wonder if Frontline and VSTAR are a "cover" for a Phantom Works project! Would make it all the more interesting! Fire Scout is already flying, but had lots of problems, and scuttlebutt is the Navy is having it forced on them. Army wants to phase them out in the Future Combat Systems process but right now doesn't have any choice. The A-160 is a bundle of problems and can't do anything near what the VSTAR says it can. We'll see. I doubt it will ever get built unless it's some silly ploy by Phantom Works and already has funding. Otherwise, even dumb competition is competition.

Why does that boat have a big propeller pointing down in the middle?

That thing is such a pig on rollerskates, I don't see how it can claim superiority over other designs. And that's what it takes to survive.

Hmm, this website kind of reminds me of Stavatti Aerospace.

Is Frontline a real defense contractor?

Shattered OUT...

Graham Warwick's tuppence and Ryan Wood's (CEO Frontline Aeospace) reply.


Frontline Aerospace's press release:

Joining Wood at the unveiling were Frontline directors and advisors including LtGen (ret) Timothy Kinnan, Chief Operating Officer of Verihelion Corporation, former Lockheed vice president and vice chief of plans for the Joint Chief of Staff; Dr. Robert M. Wood, veteran aeronautical physicist formerly of McDonnell Douglas Corporation; and MGen (ret) Thomas Eggers, consultant to Northrop Grumman, first commander of the Air Force Special Operations Command and former deputy commander of the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM).

Frontline Aerospace advisors also include Steve Britt, Esq., head of the Washington, DC-area corporate, technology and business investment practice of Leach Travell Britt pc; and Timothy Jordan, a Colorado-based investment banker.

EDIT: See also for more details about personnel: frontlineaerospace.com...


I'm starting to think some of you didn't look very hard



[edit on 16-6-2008 by _Del_]

Stavatti Corp also lists very prominent figures as members of the company as well.

I remember seeing DoD executives and Air Force generals listed on their website as well.

As for Frontline, do they have any other products? Or is this the first time they're coming under light?

Shattered OUT...

Interesting correlation. And yes, this would be the first Frontline Aerospace project that I'm aware of. However, I find it doubtful that someone would fund a project and send it to AUVSI just for kicks.

[edit on 16-6-2008 by _Del_]

Ok, we'll see what happens.

Hopefully it'll get somewhere.

Shattered OUT...