Armed Forces News

The Defense Advanced Projects Research Agency (DARPA) is working on plans to develop a better vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft. Once operational, the VTOL-X plane would be able to: sustain speeds of 300 to 400 knots; increase hovercraft efficiency to 75 percent, up from 60 percent; offer a more favorable cruise lift-to-drag ratio of 10, up from 5 to 6; and carry a payload consisting of 40 percent of the aircraft’s weight of 10,000 to 12,000 pounds. The same engine used in the Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft would power VTOL-X, which would feature two large rear wings and two smaller ones near the nose.