Taking Flight: DARPA's Contributions to Aeronautics
DARPA is building on its impressive legacy of advanced aircraft developments.
In the areas of miniaturization, extending endurance, increasing speed, and exploring novel concepts, DARPA continues to push the aerospace community to rethink basic assumptions, seeking high-risk, high-payoff approaches that will lead to revolutionary aircraft designs.
Unmanned Vehicles: In the Skies Today
The U.S. Air Force Global Hawk and Predator unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have been prominent in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and Operation Iraqi Freedom. DARPA’s work with high altitude, long endurance UAVs started in the 1970s with the Teal Rain program. Predator technologies evolved directly from DARPA’s AMBER and Gnat 750-45 designs; Predator was operationally deployed in the mid-1990s. DARPA developed the Global Hawk and transitioned the program to the U.S. Air Force in 1998.
DiscRotor is a new type of helicopter in which the rotor blades can be retracted into a circular disc, allowing faster forward speeds as well as vertical take-off and landing. EXPLORE MORE DiscRotor, Heliplane
The Vulture program will develop and demonstrate technology enabling an airplane to maintain a payload on-station for more than five years, combining the benefits of satellites with the capabilities of airplanes.
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Vulture,
A160,
Rapid Eye,
Nano Air Vehicle,
Wasp
Damage tolerant flight control technology will enable aircraft to survive extensive battle damage, even allowing an unmanned aircraft to continue to fly after losing most of a wing. EXPLORE MORE Damage Tolerant Control (pdf)/(video), Helo Quieting, Sandblaster
Phil Hunt, Program Manager, Tactical Technology Office (TTO), discusses highlights from the A160 program.
