Aurora XV-24A Lightningstrike

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A prototype unmanned VTOL air vehicle created by Aurora Flight Sciences, Rolls Royce, and Honeywell for the DARPA VTOL X-Plane research project.

The aircraft was envisioned as an unmanned armed escort during various insert operations.

A functional scale model was made and demonstrated before the project was ultimately cancelled.

Engine: Rolls-Royce AE1107C turboshaft engine, which electrically powers 24 ducted fans via three Honeywell generators.

Weight: Between 10,000–12,000 lb

Length: 38 feet
Wingspan: 60 feet
Height: 14 feet

Speed: 400 knots

Couldn’t really find any good blueprints

https://youtu.be/Ma8hnnSRvNg?si=jWVZRJVbAOwDrsdZ

[forest mural]

Erm

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it flew irl sorta

[forest mural]

yea tiny ass mock-up that isn’t true to the proposed design

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there is a true mockup but its nonfunctional lemme get the pic e

nvm forgor its shown off in the video

[hollow silo]

dank what the fuck are these suggestions

[errant briar]

one side of brain : what the fuck
the other side : yea pretty cool

[errant briar]

looks really really cool
the one thing that unsettles me is the size

like idk if it's just perspective, but in that shot it looks massive

[weary terrace]

ALRIGHT

What the fuck

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It’s not that large

I found a perspective shot

[near knoll]

Wtf is its fuel consumption, thats a LOT of engines

[slate jackal]

Lots of engines and apparently vtol, not a good recipe for range lol

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Fr

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Aaaaa already denied

💀

[forest mural]

wasn't me surprisingly

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I am astonished

[astral sluice]

durmont plane tbh