The Flying list

a reply to: Blackfinger

RAF Upper Heyford

originally posted by: Bfirez
a reply to: Zaphod58

Did SOFTA ever make it off the ground?

No one knows for sure.
It is likely such rotor craft have been attempted - but there's overwhelming evidence that in real world scenarios- where there's a need for survivable vertical lift- it is inevitably filled by a conventional helos and tilt rotor affairs.

The limitation might be that you cant bury conventional rotors in the airframe for stealth and not loose out on manoeuvrability/lift hence the big noisy open rotors we keep seeing.

The future vertical lift project seems to be requesting conventional helos with speed, stealth and comms upgrades so no cool Aliens drop ship just yet.

a reply to: BASSPLYR
You speak about the Mojave pic ?

a reply to: darksidius

Yeah. The f23 rhino hybrid looking thingy.

Hey zaph do you think the navy would be interested in a gen 5/6 black rhino cat? Or maybe tom widow bug?

a reply to: BASSPLYR

It may have been a Block III Hornet. They've also had quite a few Growlers through Mojave lately. They're doing something.

a reply to: Zaphod58

The wings and rear end though. I like the idea of a navy gen 5/6 super bug widow cat.

I noticed her fuselage was a bit longer than normal. If memory serves werent the inlets further forward than usual. Perfect for what i think she may have.

a reply to: BASSPLYR

They wouldn't let something like that out in daylight hours, even there.

It don't realy match the F-18 shape, look longer , more swept angle for the tail and not the same shape , may be a 5/6 th gen derivative ?

No one knows for sure. It is likely such rotor craft have been attempted - but there's overwhelming evidence that in real world scenarios- where there's a need for survivable vertical lift- it is inevitably filled by a conventional helos and tilt rotor affairs. The limitation might be that you cant bury conventional rotors in the airframe for stealth and not loose out on manoeuvrability/lift hence the big noisy open rotors we keep seeing. The future vertical lift project seems to be requesting conventional helos with speed, stealth and comms upgrades so no cool Aliens drop ship just yet.

Lot of money going into making RC Drones bigger.Electric flying car thingies..

a reply to: Jukiodone

www.lockheedmartin.com...

Sometimes you guys seriously over think things.

a reply to: Zaphod58
But its fun

a reply to: Blackfinger

I've lost count of the number of times I've watched a thread hit dead on something, and then someone come along with, "no that can't be right" and you all go running off on another tangent.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Is that still a real project or just more power point rangering?

One reason I started this list Zaph..

originally posted by: Blackfinger

Lot of money going into making RC Drones bigger.Electric flying car thingies..

SOFTA/SOFA payload requirement was 14 operators with gear/5000 pounds.
All the evidence suggests conventional helicopters/tilt rotors are better suited for the role

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: Jukiodone
www.lockheedmartin.com...
Sometimes you guys seriously over think things.

Are you agreeing SOFTA is unlikely due to UAV's and Helos or are you saying various could be scaled

a reply to: Jukiodone

I'm saying that giant propeller blades aren't the only way to get a VTOL flying.

a reply to: Zaphod58

You must be talking about the tr3b then.

Gee. How did I know that was coming.

a reply to: Zaphod58

I reckon SOFTA is unlikely because that type of configuration doesn't seem to scale well past fighter size.

Various is smaller than a fighter and supposedly carries a payload of 1900 lbs which is impressive- but what examples are there of safe craft that can VTOL 5000lbs/14 guys without using exposed rotors/tilts?

a reply to: Jukiodone

Various was a UAV demonstrator. It was no bigger than it had to be for the program it was built for. There is no reason to believe it couldn't be scaled up into something larger that could fit the mission.