There are some pretty wild ideas out there that need to be thought up of from time to time, and also realized, which just goes to show the ingenuity of the human mind. Well, the folks over at DARPA have long been on the lookout for a vertical takeoff device – or drone, and it seems that the concept of this 24-fan aircraft actually works, as you can see for yourself in the video above.
This particular 24-fan VTOL aircraft (vertical takeoff and landing) might not sound as though it is worth checking out as it does seem to defy conventional physics, but miracle of miracles, it actually worked during a test light. Aurora Flight Sciences manage to fly a small-scale demonstrator version of the LightningStrike vehicle which is part of its effort to showcase the aerodynamics and flight control systems, as a working proof-of-concept that it should be able to be translated to a larger sized aircraft.
After all, the prototype is 20% the size of the full prototype that is set to arrive this coming 2018, and the far larger obstacle that lies ahead of them would be to complete the actual machine and have it carry a minimum of 4,000lbs of cargo with the ability to travel at speeds of up to 400 knots (460MPH). [Press Release]
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