Posted in: Technology  Helicopters: Darpa Tries To Rethink
Vertical Aircraft  Darpa wants to rethink helicopters as
vertical aircraft  Darpa wants to rethink the helicopter so it
goes faster.  Darpa stands for Defense Advanced Research
Projects Agency.  Helicopters are incredible flying machines,
capable of maneuvering in tight places and hauling cargo several
times their size. Helicopters can even take off vertically,
eliminating the need for a runway or air strip. However, the
average helicopter’s speed leaves much to be desired.  The
Marine aircraft known as the Osprey is a jet that basically does
everything a helicopter can. So Darpa wants to, as Tim Allen’s
character in Home Improvement would say, “rewire it.”  The
rethinking process Darpa is considering involves a better
version of helicopters, jump-jets and tilt-rotors, making it all
faster. Darpa believes it’s possible to make an aircraft faster
without sacrificing the advantages a helicopter has over the
average passenger plane. The current variety i