Future Planes

When the next-generation aircraft rises over the horizon, one group of people will be able to say they saw it first. That's the U.S. Defense Advance Research Projects Group, or DARPA. A month after the launch of Sputnik, Congress created the Advanced Research Projects Agency to make sure that the United States would never again be surprised by an adversary's technology -- and to prepare surprises of its own for use by the American military.

Today, DARPA has projects going in space science, biomedicine, microelectronics, nanotechnology and just about any other field you can name, including aviation.

Some of the agency's previous successful aviation partnerships include the Saturn rocket that carried men to the moon, the Lockheed F117 "stealth" fighter, and the Northrop Grumman B-2 bomber and the UAV, or unmanned aerial vehicle. None of these pivotal technologies might exist if not for DARPA. As I originally wrote for the May 2008 issue of Professional Pilot magazine, the agency has a number of new aircraft in the works.

The Oblique Flying Wing aircraft, for instance, is an odd-looking number. One wing is swept forward, the other back, and the sweep angle changes with speed to optimize aerodynamic performance. In terms of civilian use, an OFW business jet would have a high purchase price but might offer enough operating efficiency to justify the initial cost.

The Vulture, an autonomous aircraft capable of staying in the air for up to five years at a time, could work cheaper than certain satellites while performing the same function. Innovated for civilian use, the craft could be used as a sort of flying hotel.

But it's the agency's nano air vehicle program that really pushes the limits. The program aims to produce an aircraft less than 3 inches long and weighing about one-third of an ounce. That's under 10 grams. The vehicle wouldn't have room for passengers, of course, but it's still an aircraft and will require fundamental breakthroughs in aerodynamic design, propulsion and power systems, avionics and manufacturing techniques to get off the ground.

Even these technologies will one day be obsolete, and DARPA is planning for the next technological wave thereafter. Early in 2008, the agency issued a request for proposals on experiments related to quantum entanglement. This may be the most ambitious research effort DARPA has ever taken on. The project, called quantum entanglement science and technology (QuEST), could produce such marvels as the Star Trek's transporter. In the meantime, a seat in first class will be good enough for me.

touch screen mirror

Interactive Mirror from Alpay Kasal on Vimeo.

Could have some potential. Maybe a catchy way to get you in to a clothing store.

Virgin Galactic unveils first space ship

Tourism flights booking now; first takeoff in mid-2009

Virgin Galactic, the spaceflight division of Richard Branson's Virgin Group, formally unveiled its first spacecraft in New York City today. The ship, named SpaceShipTwo, is nearing the final phases of construction by Scaled Composites.

Today's announcement was bittersweet. In June, the aircraft will begin is mandated 50 test flights before carrying a single passenger. But this incredible success is not without its price: one of SpaceShipTwo's engines killed three Scaled Composites employees during a test last July. Branson and Scaled Composites would not comment if the explosion delayed the project.

Safety is paramount at Virgin Galactic. Branson claimed ex-Trekker William Shatner was scheduled as one of the first to fly on SpaceShipTwo, though Shatner then publicly made the claim, "I do want to go up, but I need guarantees I'll definitely come back."

The risks of spaceflight have not deterred others. Virgin Galactic claims up to 200 people have already booked seats on the sub-orbital craft through 2009. Though the initial ticket price is $200,000, a British businessman named Alan Watts was able to redeem two million frequent flier miles for a 2009 flight. Branson promised that after the first 100 passengers, the deposit cost will dip to $100,000 for the next 400 passengers.

Eventually, Branson hopes to bring suborbital flight to as low as $20,000 per person.

The ship will reach a maximum altitude of 68 miles, just exceeding the formal boundary of space. Total time for each flight is projected to be in the 2.5 hour range, which includes six minutes of weightlessness at the peak of the suborbital phase.

The spacecraft will fold its wings up for reentry into atmosphere, then fold them back again immediately before landing.

Launches will occur from underneath a mother ship known as WhiteKnightTwo, also unveiled in New York today. All flights will originate from Upham, New Mexico.

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