DARPA Wants To Build Flying Aircraft Carriers!

[Mikesingh]

Now this seems to be straight out of a sci-fi thriller, but sci-fi has this habit of becoming reality sooner than later. Check this out........

DARPA Wants To Build Flying Aircraft Carriers

Drones are an increasingly important part of the US military arsenal. Low-cost, low-risk, alternatives to manned aircraft, they are versatile while at the same time becoming increasingly powerful. However, their speed and range is typically much more limited than that of our manned aircraft.

DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) is looking to fix that shortcoming by soliciting ideas for airborne aircraft carriers — or as DARPA calls them “aircraft carriers in the sky.”

Right now it is just a call for ideas, but it is likely only a matter of time until a solution is developed and deployed.
On the face of it, the idea might seem a little far-fetched, but it won’t be the first time military aircraft have been launched and recovered from the air.

The US Naval airships Macon and Akron (officially ZRS-4 and ZRS-5) were floating aircraft hangars and air fields all-in-one, designed for very similar reasons before World War II. In that era, the small bi-planes used for scouting had very limited range compared to the oceans we needed to watch. So these 1000-foot-long airships were designed to carry up to five F9C-2 Curtiss Sparrowhawk scout planes that could be launched and recovered using a trapeze-shaped hook system worthy of one of Houdini’s airborne stunts.

http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/...ft-carrier-to-make-drones-even-more-effective


Flying aircraft carriers? What do you think of this idea? Looks great on the face of it, but.......

 

[Razor]

Now this seems to be straight out of a sci-fi thriller, but sci-fi has this habit of becoming reality sooner than later. Check this out........

DARPA Wants To Build Flying Aircraft Carriers

Drones are an increasingly important part of the US military arsenal. Low-cost, low-risk, alternatives to manned aircraft, they are versatile while at the same time becoming increasingly powerful. However, their speed and range is typically much more limited than that of our manned aircraft.

DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) is looking to fix that shortcoming by soliciting ideas for airborne aircraft carriers — or as DARPA calls them “aircraft carriers in the sky.”

Right now it is just a call for ideas, but it is likely only a matter of time until a solution is developed and deployed.
On the face of it, the idea might seem a little far-fetched, but it won’t be the first time military aircraft have been launched and recovered from the air.

The US Naval airships Macon and Akron (officially ZRS-4 and ZRS-5) were floating aircraft hangars and air fields all-in-one, designed for very similar reasons before World War II. In that era, the small bi-planes used for scouting had very limited range compared to the oceans we needed to watch. So these 1000-foot-long airships were designed to carry up to five F9C-2 Curtiss Sparrowhawk scout planes that could be launched and recovered using a trapeze-shaped hook system worthy of one of Houdini’s airborne stunts.

http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/...ft-carrier-to-make-drones-even-more-effective


Flying aircraft carriers? What do you think of this idea? Looks great on the face of it, but.......

Why are these needed?
I mean what are its advantages which current systems/capabilities can not provide?
Some examples, please.

 

[Mikesingh]

Why are these needed?
I mean what are its advantages which current systems/capabilities can not provide?
Some examples, please.

Flying aircraft carriers have the added advantage of being able to traverse the limits of water borne aircraft carriers by flying over land which increases the range of their aircraft manifold.

But until an energy efficient propulsion system is invented, this would be impracticable as the energy required using conventional systems would be enormous and thus impracticable.

 

[Zebra]

Flying aircraft carriers have the added advantage of being able to traverse the limits of water borne aircraft carriers by flying over land which increases the range of their aircraft manifold.

But until an energy efficient propulsion system is invented, this would be impracticable as the energy required using conventional systems would be enormous and thus impracticable.

The downwash will do havoc................................ !

 

[Razor]

Flying aircraft carriers have the added advantage of being able to traverse the limits of water borne aircraft carriers by flying over land which increases the range of their aircraft manifold.

But until an energy efficient propulsion system is invented, this would be impracticable as the energy required using conventional systems would be enormous and thus impracticable.

Playing Devil's advocate:
Okay, but even then these (F.A.C.) can fly over airspace of allies only, allies who would also allow air bases.
So isn't it redundant?

 

[Mikesingh]

The downwash will do havoc................................ !

Probably not if they're flying over a thousand feet! Which they obviously would!

 

[Zebra]

Playing Devil's advocate:
Okay, but even then these (F.A.C.) can fly over airspace of allies only, allies who would also allow air bases.
So isn't it redundant?

Sir, only Devils (can) play as Devil's advocate. :biggrin2:

Anyway, this carrier is for "Drones" only.
And if it can't fly over hostile land, but still it can reach place A to B, in shorter time by flying over open sea.

 

[adrenalin]

already show in hollywood movie avengers, maybe already built.