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Military, Aviation, Spacecraft Technology that won't necessarily replace us


Tonka

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Even though the terms UAV, RPA, and their triple-gold medals and ribbons are not highly favored in these forums, there is plenty of new stuff in development that seems to have been glossed over in the world and, well, in the location where all the intelligent aviators seem to hang out: BA.net.

In fact, this is probably the perfect time for us (however you choose to define the term) to look in another direction, and different "insert your own colloquial term of the minute, i.e. synergylisticaly-out-of-the-box" thinking.

Rules are: there has to be pictures (SFW), it has to be somewhat-reasonably credible, and no discussion about how the technology will affect your promotion, bonus, or inherit rights to marry your brother, once-removed. I know full well that I may be the only one posting here, but I could not find a better location.

Air launch to orbit:

Made for SpaceShip2 (with 500 paid travelers already), but ready to launch smaller payloads.

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Maybe with a C-17 (If they put an FE on it first)

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Paul Allen's concept, stratolaunch:

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Who just built a hangar for this big boy:

http://www.geekwire....rgest-aircraft/

Stratolaunch_Hangar_March2013-1024x584.jpg

There is definitely some DOD potential in this concept, and I'm guessing they will need actual pilots to fly them! Even if it is just monitoring the autopilot... we could be on the cusp of a new golden age.

Edited by Tonka
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Meh, as I suspected...

Next one:

Tracking of aircraft from space using ADS-B, would be pretty useful over the oceans... or a lot of Africa/S America. If only the controllers were based in space as well.

proba-v.jpg

http://www.gizmag.com/esa-proba-v-satellite-aircraft-tracking/27921/

"Although the ADS-B signals are relatively weak, Proba-V's experimental receiver was able to record over 12,000 ADS-B messages within two hours at an altitude of 820 km (510 miles) without any need to upgrade existing aircraft equipment."

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More of a proof of concept. They started with some high altitude balloons, and this was a secondary mission of this particular satelite. I can't imagine the delay would be dramatically more then the delay of satellite phones, at most maybe double? Depends on how it interacts with the ground station.

http://www.dlr.de/dl...l/#gallery/9760

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A350 flies:

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http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/14/travel/a350-xwb-first-flight-2

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Don't you insult her like that!

Read an interesting article in Rotor & Wing comparing this to the Sikorski X2. They mentioned that the X3 may not be able to handle crosswinds as well as a "traditional" compound helo design due to the fuselage blanking out one of the nacelles. Since the props provide the anti-torque in a hover, any null areas caused would significantly reduce performance. I have no idea if it is true or how the X3 performs with a crosswind, I just thought it was interesting.

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Don't you insult her like that!

Read an interesting article in Rotor & Wing comparing this to the Sikorski X2. They mentioned that the X3 may not be able to handle crosswinds as well as a "traditional" compound helo design due to the fuselage blanking out one of the nacelles. Since the props provide the anti-torque in a hover, any null areas caused would significantly reduce performance. I have no idea if it is true or how the X3 performs with a crosswind, I just thought it was interesting.

Didn't we already have one? Albeit a few years ago, maybe when Rainman and M2 were still wet behind the ears Lts?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_AH-56_Cheyenne

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Skimmed the article and didn't see any reference...what is the propagation delay for the signal from aircraft to satellite to ground station?

510 mile orbit (up and down) would be around 1,000 miles. Light travels 186,000 miles/sec. So the propagation delay would be around .005 seconds (5 milliseconds) plus whatever hardware delays involved.

That is one ugly helicopter.

Speaking of space - NASAs new class of eight astronauts just got released. 4 men and 4 women out of 6,000 applicants.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Not for sale just yet, but for $130:

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How long until this COTS system, or something like it, makes it into Aviation... obviously a lot more certification work is required for it to be legal for instrument work, etc... and even more for it to be military hardened, but I can't imagine that it is insurmountable (or even cost ineffective to do so). If only for a great SA tool: A/S, Altitude and heading.

https://buy.garmin.c...prod134348.html

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  • 1 month later...

Hyperloop:

http://www.scribd.co...Hyperloop-Alpha

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From Elon Musk (paypal, Tesla, SpaceX). No plans to build it, except maybe a prototype... seems he is a little too busy with his other 2 adventures.

Rides on a cushion of air, provided from the air in front of the "Capsule" by an electric compressor fan. No acceleration device provided organically, instead every 70 miles an external linear eletric motor (built into the tube) would accelerate it up to 700 mph.

post-18462-0-17331200-1376391343_thumb.ppost-18462-0-85008600-1376391359_thumb.ppost-18462-0-18070000-1376391373_thumb.p

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Sikorsky X2 - one LHTEC T800-LHT-801, ~1500shp

Eurocopter X3 - two RTM322, ~2200shp each

It took Eurocopter (soon to be Airbus Helicopter, for your daily dose of aviation trivia) 3 times the power, and probably 3 times the fuel burn, to make a whopping 5kts over the X2. Not impressed.

Edit: Yes, I'm aware that the X3 actually has a cabin that could possibly be put to use, as opposed to the X2 that doesn't even have the option of a second seating position. I'm biased, sue me.

Edited by JarheadBoom
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  • 4 weeks later...

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Aeroscraft begins flight testing following FAA certification

http://www.gizmag.co...-testing/28970/

The Aeroscraft has been under development since 2006, and the US Government has contributed some $35M for research, along with expertise in aerodynamics and control systems from NASA....As big as this airship is, it is still a one-half scale prototype – the final design is expected to be more than 400 feet (121m) long and be able to lift a cargo weight of 66 tons.

The Aeroscraft airship can compress a certain amount of its lifting gas and put it into fabric tanks, under pressure. The density of the compressed gas is higher so that it is no longer lighter than air, and therefore this airship, unlike any of its predecessors, can change its buoyancy.

http://www.prweb.com...web11033700.htm

Aeros recently announced initial fleet development plans for 22 full-sized, globally-deployable Aeroscrafts in two cargo weight bearing configurations, capable of airlifting 66-tons and 250-tons respectively.
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  • 3 months later...

http://www.army.mil/article/116793/Army_tests_vehicle_mounted_laser_against_multiple_targets/

More LASERs, this one takes out UAVs and mortars:

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WHITE SANDS MISSILE RANGE, N.M. (Dec. 11, 2013) -- The Army used a vehicle-mounted high-energy laser for the first time to successfully engage more than 90 mortar rounds and several unmanned aerial vehicles in flight.

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  • 5 months later...

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