Google Groups no longer supports new Usenet posts or subscriptions. Historical content remains viewable.
Dismiss
WARZONE: GE may be about to announce new elec aircraft
6 views
Skip to first unread message
MrPosti...@kymhorsell.com
Dec 16, 2017, 3:10:38 PM12/16/17
to
<http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/17024/could-phantom-swift-be-the-aircraft-boeing-defense-is-set-to-reveal-next-week>
Could "Phantom Swift" Be The Aircraft Boeing Defense Is Set To Reveal Next Week?
It would definitely be worth all the hype.
Tyler Rogoway
15 Dec 2017
<http://imagesvc.timeincapp.com/v3/foundry/image/?q=70&w=1440&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftimedotcom.files.wordpress.com%2F2017%2F12%2Fjajdja251111444.jpg%3Fquality%3D85>
Boeing Rendering
Our minds have been racing since Boeing Defense posted a tweet on
Thu showing a black cloth draped mystery aircraft with the text
"Robust? Check. Ready? Check. Changing future air power? Check it out!
See the reveal 12/19! #PhantomWorks." We followed up quickly with a
post detailing some possibilities as to what's under that black sheet,
but a discussion in our forum prompted me to look up a research and
development project I hadn't heard about for some time-the vertical
takeoff and landing (VTOL) "Phantom Swift."
<https://twitter.com/BoeingDefense/status/941337140260204545>
Phantom Swift is indeed a Boeing Phantom Works program that was being
developed for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)
under the VTOL X-Plane competition.
SEE ALSO:
* Boeing Defense Teases Mystery Aircraft Unveiling By Hiding It Under
A Black SheetBy Tyler Rogoway Posted in The War Zone
* DARPA's Revolutionary Fixed-Wing VTOL Naval Drone Gets The Video
TreatmentBy Tyler Rogoway Posted in The War Zone
* The Navy Says "Fly Before Buy" When It Comes To Its New MQ-25 Drone
TankerBy Joseph Trevithick Posted in The War Zone
* The Alarming Case of the USAF's Mysteriously Missing Unmanned Combat
Air VehiclesBy Tyler Rogoway Posted in The War Zone
* DARPA's "Flying Missile Rail" Seems To Be More About Manufacturing
Than CombatBy Tyler Rogoway Posted in The War Zone
In 2013, this is how Boeing described the endeavor:
"The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is looking for
a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft that can fly fast,
hover efficiently and carry a lot of cargo. Thanks to rapid
prototyping, a team of Boeing Phantom Works engineers in Philadelphia
designed and built a flying subscale model of the innovative Phantom
Swift in time to be part of Boeing's proposal for DARPA's vertical
takeoff and landing X-Plane competition."
Boeing's Phantom Swift X-Plane
<https://youtu.be/8N3RlaVYDdM>
The design leverages 2 large fans buried in the aircraft's fuselage
to provide vertical lift and a pair of swiveling wingtip fans for
stability and control during hover and for propulsion during forward
flight. The idea is to have one or 2 General Electric CT7-8 turbines
produce power to drive all these fans electrically, although an early
prototype might not include a full hybrid electric drive
system. Boeing says this configuration is far more efficient than a
normal helicopter and DARPA's original design goals included hitting
speeds beyond 300 knots and carry 4,000lbs. A full size Phantom Swift
would be similar in dimensions and weight to a Super King Air.
Boeing continued to develop the aircraft with govt funds prior
to DARPA's down-select of just one type back in early 2016. That
aircraft ended up being Aurora Flight Sciences exotic and highly
promising LightningStrike concept. I wrote the following about the
program shortly after Aurora Flight Sciences won the chance to build a
full-scale prototype:
"The idea behind the whole VTOL X-plane initiative is not to put an
aircraft into production or to fill a distinct mission set, but to
rapidly mature and reduce risk on a package of technologies that could
make their way to production aircraft in the not so distant
future. And according to Bagai the technology is scalable, both up to
much larger aircraft and down to small unmanned system. Clearly the
tactical and commercial applications for a LightningStrike craft, that
can land virtually anywhere while also being able to fly a near jet
speeds are huge."
Just last Oct Boeing acquired Aurora Flight Sciences, which has
completed sub-scale testing and is currently working to build the
full-sized version of LightningStrike known as the XV-24A. But it is
possible that even though Phantom Swift lost the DARPA X-Plane
competition, Boeing continued to internally fund development of design
on a parallel timetable as DARPA's program.
Boeing has done this before with their X-45C Phantom Ray UCAV, among
other initiatives, and clearly rotorless VTOL flight-especially using
hybrid gas-electric propulsion-is one of the most promising future of
flight technologies. With that in mind, having 2 radically different
designs now in development could drastically increase the potential of
grabbing marketshare early on and would abate some risk if one of the
two concepts doesn't pan out during testing. Also, it's likely that
one concept will be better suited for certain tasks than the other an
vica-versa.
As you can see in the tweeted image above, the latest configuration of
the Phantom Swift sure resembles what's poking up under Boeing's black
sheet. With the top inlet doors closed the form factor of its fuselage
looks pretty similar and the V-tails being as thick as they are, the
aircraft's wings could be entirely blocked in the teaser video. As for
the stout landing gear, well VTOL is a rough and tough business.
...
--
[New 1m low:]
TC PIPELINES LP Common Stock
TSE: TRP - 15 Dec., 4:00 pm GMT-5
61.59 CAD Price decrease 0.22 (0.36%)
1m high: 64.25 on 21 Nov
prev 1m low: 61.66 on 01 Dec
Urduja unloads over 1000 mm of rain on Philippines; Life-threatening flood
risk continues into Mon
AccuWeather.com, 15 Dec 2017
'Not a White Christmas' Brits bracing up for the WARMEST festive period
ON RECORD
Daily Star, 16 Dec 2017 00:06Z
Climate Signals @ClimateSignals 16 Dec 2017 00:12Z
New report from @ametsoc finds that record heat in Asia, record-high global
#temperature, and a N. Pacific marine "heat wave" wouldn't have occurred in
2016 w/o anthropogenic #climatechange https://buff.ly/2ohuinb
via @wunderground
<https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DRIDxEOW0AArBHD.jpg>
[WARNING: #unreliablesource].
You ain't seen nothing SWEAT! Sydney to bake in 42C temperatures this
weekend as the first REAL heatwave of the ...
Daily Mail, 16 Dec 2017 01:05Z
Could Dust Storms From Africa Be Damaging Ecosystems in the Florida Keys?
Pacific Standard, 16 Dec 2017 01:08Z
Jay Rosen @jayrosen_nyu 16 Dec 2017 01:09Z
Officials at the Centers for Disease Control are now forbidden to use the
term "evidence-based."
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/cdc-gets-list-of-forbidden-words-fetus-transgender-diversity/2017/12/15/f503837a-e1cf-11e7-89e8-edec16379010_story.html
Not kidding.
<https://t.co/YAzWUC3JZ2>
Outback couple build solar farm to prove need for remote power generation
ABC News, 16 Dec 2017
In Queensland's Gulf of Carpentaria, one couple has built a solar farm big
enough to power their shire in a move to prove the benefit of decentralising
electricity and positioning generation sites at the end of the grid.
Winds put 100s of homes in Montecito area in danger as Thomas fire rages
Los Angeles Times, 16 Dec 2017 03:56Z
Las Vegas victims fund raised $22 mn - but it's not enough, so
thousands will get nothing
Los Angeles Times, 16 Dec 2017 04:59Z
Warm day breaks temperature records in Los Angeles with 'no whisper of a
rain chance'
Los Angeles Times, 16 Dec 2017 06:52Z
More than 200 passengers aboard Royal Caribbean ship stricken with
stomach virus
ABC News, 16 Dec 2017 09:00Z
Winds, danger return as Thomas fire takes aim at Santa Barbara County
Los Angeles Times, 16 Dec 2017 10:24Z
Impacts of Climate Change Could Strongly Increase by Mid-Century
Brinkwire, 16 Dec 2017 10:54Z
Flooding, landslides force 1000s of families out of homes in Visayas
Inquirer.net, 16 Dec 2017 12:50Z
Three Mile Island installs safety measure in case of tornado debris
LancasterOnline, 16 Dec 2017 12:55Z
Floods in Philippines: 3 dead, 77000 flee as storm triggers landslides
Business Standard, 16 Dec 2017 13:50Z
New weather warnings issued for ice with big freeze creating dangerous
driving conditions
Scottish Daily Record, 16 Dec 2017 14:52Z
If California is serious about climate change, the car can't be king of
our roads
Los Angeles Times, 16 Dec 2017 15:53Z
Extreme cold weather alert issued for Toronto
Globalnews.ca, 16 Dec 2017 17:51Z
Could "Phantom Swift" Be The Aircraft Boeing Defense Is Set To Reveal Next Week?
It would definitely be worth all the hype.
Tyler Rogoway
15 Dec 2017
<http://imagesvc.timeincapp.com/v3/foundry/image/?q=70&w=1440&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftimedotcom.files.wordpress.com%2F2017%2F12%2Fjajdja251111444.jpg%3Fquality%3D85>
Boeing Rendering
Our minds have been racing since Boeing Defense posted a tweet on
Thu showing a black cloth draped mystery aircraft with the text
"Robust? Check. Ready? Check. Changing future air power? Check it out!
See the reveal 12/19! #PhantomWorks." We followed up quickly with a
post detailing some possibilities as to what's under that black sheet,
but a discussion in our forum prompted me to look up a research and
development project I hadn't heard about for some time-the vertical
takeoff and landing (VTOL) "Phantom Swift."
<https://twitter.com/BoeingDefense/status/941337140260204545>
Phantom Swift is indeed a Boeing Phantom Works program that was being
developed for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)
under the VTOL X-Plane competition.
SEE ALSO:
* Boeing Defense Teases Mystery Aircraft Unveiling By Hiding It Under
A Black SheetBy Tyler Rogoway Posted in The War Zone
* DARPA's Revolutionary Fixed-Wing VTOL Naval Drone Gets The Video
TreatmentBy Tyler Rogoway Posted in The War Zone
* The Navy Says "Fly Before Buy" When It Comes To Its New MQ-25 Drone
TankerBy Joseph Trevithick Posted in The War Zone
* The Alarming Case of the USAF's Mysteriously Missing Unmanned Combat
Air VehiclesBy Tyler Rogoway Posted in The War Zone
* DARPA's "Flying Missile Rail" Seems To Be More About Manufacturing
Than CombatBy Tyler Rogoway Posted in The War Zone
In 2013, this is how Boeing described the endeavor:
"The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is looking for
a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft that can fly fast,
hover efficiently and carry a lot of cargo. Thanks to rapid
prototyping, a team of Boeing Phantom Works engineers in Philadelphia
designed and built a flying subscale model of the innovative Phantom
Swift in time to be part of Boeing's proposal for DARPA's vertical
takeoff and landing X-Plane competition."
Boeing's Phantom Swift X-Plane
<https://youtu.be/8N3RlaVYDdM>
The design leverages 2 large fans buried in the aircraft's fuselage
to provide vertical lift and a pair of swiveling wingtip fans for
stability and control during hover and for propulsion during forward
flight. The idea is to have one or 2 General Electric CT7-8 turbines
produce power to drive all these fans electrically, although an early
prototype might not include a full hybrid electric drive
system. Boeing says this configuration is far more efficient than a
normal helicopter and DARPA's original design goals included hitting
speeds beyond 300 knots and carry 4,000lbs. A full size Phantom Swift
would be similar in dimensions and weight to a Super King Air.
Boeing continued to develop the aircraft with govt funds prior
to DARPA's down-select of just one type back in early 2016. That
aircraft ended up being Aurora Flight Sciences exotic and highly
promising LightningStrike concept. I wrote the following about the
program shortly after Aurora Flight Sciences won the chance to build a
full-scale prototype:
"The idea behind the whole VTOL X-plane initiative is not to put an
aircraft into production or to fill a distinct mission set, but to
rapidly mature and reduce risk on a package of technologies that could
make their way to production aircraft in the not so distant
future. And according to Bagai the technology is scalable, both up to
much larger aircraft and down to small unmanned system. Clearly the
tactical and commercial applications for a LightningStrike craft, that
can land virtually anywhere while also being able to fly a near jet
speeds are huge."
Just last Oct Boeing acquired Aurora Flight Sciences, which has
completed sub-scale testing and is currently working to build the
full-sized version of LightningStrike known as the XV-24A. But it is
possible that even though Phantom Swift lost the DARPA X-Plane
competition, Boeing continued to internally fund development of design
on a parallel timetable as DARPA's program.
Boeing has done this before with their X-45C Phantom Ray UCAV, among
other initiatives, and clearly rotorless VTOL flight-especially using
hybrid gas-electric propulsion-is one of the most promising future of
flight technologies. With that in mind, having 2 radically different
designs now in development could drastically increase the potential of
grabbing marketshare early on and would abate some risk if one of the
two concepts doesn't pan out during testing. Also, it's likely that
one concept will be better suited for certain tasks than the other an
vica-versa.
As you can see in the tweeted image above, the latest configuration of
the Phantom Swift sure resembles what's poking up under Boeing's black
sheet. With the top inlet doors closed the form factor of its fuselage
looks pretty similar and the V-tails being as thick as they are, the
aircraft's wings could be entirely blocked in the teaser video. As for
the stout landing gear, well VTOL is a rough and tough business.
...
--
[New 1m low:]
TC PIPELINES LP Common Stock
TSE: TRP - 15 Dec., 4:00 pm GMT-5
61.59 CAD Price decrease 0.22 (0.36%)
1m high: 64.25 on 21 Nov
prev 1m low: 61.66 on 01 Dec
Urduja unloads over 1000 mm of rain on Philippines; Life-threatening flood
risk continues into Mon
AccuWeather.com, 15 Dec 2017
'Not a White Christmas' Brits bracing up for the WARMEST festive period
ON RECORD
Daily Star, 16 Dec 2017 00:06Z
Climate Signals @ClimateSignals 16 Dec 2017 00:12Z
New report from @ametsoc finds that record heat in Asia, record-high global
#temperature, and a N. Pacific marine "heat wave" wouldn't have occurred in
2016 w/o anthropogenic #climatechange https://buff.ly/2ohuinb
via @wunderground
<https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DRIDxEOW0AArBHD.jpg>
[WARNING: #unreliablesource].
You ain't seen nothing SWEAT! Sydney to bake in 42C temperatures this
weekend as the first REAL heatwave of the ...
Daily Mail, 16 Dec 2017 01:05Z
Could Dust Storms From Africa Be Damaging Ecosystems in the Florida Keys?
Pacific Standard, 16 Dec 2017 01:08Z
Jay Rosen @jayrosen_nyu 16 Dec 2017 01:09Z
Officials at the Centers for Disease Control are now forbidden to use the
term "evidence-based."
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/cdc-gets-list-of-forbidden-words-fetus-transgender-diversity/2017/12/15/f503837a-e1cf-11e7-89e8-edec16379010_story.html
Not kidding.
<https://t.co/YAzWUC3JZ2>
Outback couple build solar farm to prove need for remote power generation
ABC News, 16 Dec 2017
In Queensland's Gulf of Carpentaria, one couple has built a solar farm big
enough to power their shire in a move to prove the benefit of decentralising
electricity and positioning generation sites at the end of the grid.
Winds put 100s of homes in Montecito area in danger as Thomas fire rages
Los Angeles Times, 16 Dec 2017 03:56Z
Las Vegas victims fund raised $22 mn - but it's not enough, so
thousands will get nothing
Los Angeles Times, 16 Dec 2017 04:59Z
Warm day breaks temperature records in Los Angeles with 'no whisper of a
rain chance'
Los Angeles Times, 16 Dec 2017 06:52Z
More than 200 passengers aboard Royal Caribbean ship stricken with
stomach virus
ABC News, 16 Dec 2017 09:00Z
Winds, danger return as Thomas fire takes aim at Santa Barbara County
Los Angeles Times, 16 Dec 2017 10:24Z
Impacts of Climate Change Could Strongly Increase by Mid-Century
Brinkwire, 16 Dec 2017 10:54Z
Flooding, landslides force 1000s of families out of homes in Visayas
Inquirer.net, 16 Dec 2017 12:50Z
Three Mile Island installs safety measure in case of tornado debris
LancasterOnline, 16 Dec 2017 12:55Z
Floods in Philippines: 3 dead, 77000 flee as storm triggers landslides
Business Standard, 16 Dec 2017 13:50Z
New weather warnings issued for ice with big freeze creating dangerous
driving conditions
Scottish Daily Record, 16 Dec 2017 14:52Z
If California is serious about climate change, the car can't be king of
our roads
Los Angeles Times, 16 Dec 2017 15:53Z
Extreme cold weather alert issued for Toronto
Globalnews.ca, 16 Dec 2017 17:51Z
Paul Aubrin
Dec 17, 2017, 2:40:07 AM12/17/17
to
On Sun, 17 Dec 2017 07:10:10 +1100, MrPostingRobot wrote :
> Phantom Swift is indeed a Boeing Phantom Works program that was being
> developed for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)
> under the VTOL X-Plane competition.
> Phantom Swift is indeed a Boeing Phantom Works program that was being
> developed for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)
> under the VTOL X-Plane competition.
"The idea is to have one or 2 General Electric CT7-8 turbines produce
power to drive all these fans electrically."
https://www.geaviation.com/sites/default/files/thumb-ct7-8.jpg
"CT7-8
The CT7-8 is a family of powerful engines in the 2,500 to 3,000 shp class
designed to meet the demanding mission needs of modern medium lift
helicopters throughout the world."
Fuel type: JP-4 or JP-5 (YT700-GE-700)
Specific fuel consumption: 0.433 (T700/T6E) to 0.465 (T700-GE-701A), (lb/
hp·h)
0 new messages