DARPA announces plans for a flying car

DARPA announced that it is inviting proposals to design a flying car entitled Transformer X.


The need for such vehicle derives from what the US military requites in order to carry out various military missions. The vehicle should be robust, easy to operate and capable of flying (over natural barriers, minefields etc).


To date, the closest thing what DARPA has described as "a vertical takeoff and landing roadable air vehicle." that has been built and tested is the Terrafugia Transition.

But the proposed TX would have some significant differences:

- it would be a robust off-road vehicle with road performance similar to an SUV,
- as quiet as a conventional automobile in ground mode and make no more noise than a single engine helicopter when flying,
- employ an automated piloting system which would not require extensive training to operate,
- have a maximum payload capacity of 1,000 pounds so that it can carry four passengers and their gear,    
- it should also be capable of achieving an altitude of 1,000 feet, and traveling 250 miles on a single tank of fuel.  


DARPA wants a prototype that will be ready for ground and flight tests by 2015, and that will cost no more than $43 million to develop, reported by Physorg.