A US government agency responsible for developing military technology has signed off on production of a prototype for an unmanned electric aeroplane that can take off and land without a runway (+ movie).
Advanced aircraft manufacturer Aurora was awarded a contract to build a demonstration model of its experimental aeroplane design by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).
The project is part of a wider programme to develop high-speed and efficient vehicles capable of vertical take off and landing.

"For the past 60 years, helicopters have provided essential vertical take off and landing (VTOL) capabilities for countless military operations," said DARPA's Ashish Bagai. "One key goal still remains elusive: improving top speed beyond 170 knots." "Faster VTOL aircraft could shorten mission times and increase the potential for successful operations, while reducing vulnerability to enemy attack," he added.

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"Unfortunately, new VTOL designs so far have been unable to increase top speed without unacceptable compromises in range, efficiency, useful payload or simplicity of design."
Aurora's design, called the VTOL X-Plane but nicknamed LightningStrike, was designed in response to these challenges. It will reportedly achieve a sustained flight speed of 300 to 400 knots, while also being capable of carrying heavier l...