MANASSAS, Va., April 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Aurora Flight
Sciences today announced that it has reached an agreement with the
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to transition its
X-Plane program technology to commercial applications, including
expanding its research into commercial eVTOL systems.
Developed for DARPA's Vertical Takeoff and Landing Experimental
Plane (VTOL X-Plane) program, the program's XV-24 subscale vehicle
demonstrator (SVD) delivered a number of key aviation
milestones:
- Distributed electric propulsion ducted fans
- An innovative synchronous electric-drive system
- Both tilt-wing- and tilt-canard-based propulsion for vertical
takeoff and landing
- High efficiency in both hover and high-speed forward
flight
These milestones advanced the concept of distributed electric
propulsion applied to Aurora's eVTOL on-demand aircraft, which is
being developed in partnership with Uber Elevate.
"When DARPA launched the idea of distributed electric propulsion
in 2013, it was a novel concept. Today, it is widely accepted as
the catalyst to a sophisticated electric air transportation
ecosystem," said Aurora Founder and CEO John Langford. "Expanding on DARPA's vision, we
now have an unprecedented opportunity to take this groundbreaking
capability to completely new markets."
"Growing private capital investment in electric aircraft has
quickly accelerated the timeline of point-to-point VTOL travel
within the commercial space," said Tom
Clancy, Aurora Chief Technology Officer. "DARPA has always
been at the forefront of technological advancements, and the
success of this ambitious project has the potential to redefine the
world we live in."
About Aurora Flight Sciences
Aurora Flight Sciences, A Boeing Company, is an innovative
technology company that strives to create smarter aircraft through
the development of versatile and intuitive autonomous systems.
Operating at the intersection of technology and robotic aviation,
Aurora leverages the power of autonomy to make manned and unmanned
flight safer and more efficient. Headquartered in Manassas, Virginia, Aurora has more than 550
employees and operates in six locations, including research and
development centers in Cambridge,
Massachusetts, and Luzern, Switzerland; manufacturing facilities in
Bridgeport, West Virginia, and
Columbus, Mississippi; and offices
in Dayton, Ohio, and Mountain View, California. To view recent
press releases and for more about Aurora please visit our website
at www.aurora.aero.
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SOURCE Aurora Flight Sciences