Americans are looking for a "flying jeep". Yesterday, September 23, Popular Mechanics magazine reported that within the framework of the HSVTOL program, the US Air Force selected 35 promising models for creating a flying transport of the future.
Popular Mechanics calls the HSVTOL program an attempt to find a "flying jeep" for the armed forces, comparing it with the appearance of the Willys SUV, which at one time significantly affected the mobility of troops. Now the American army wants to get a universal air transport.
Visualization of the HSVTOL concept by Bell Textron
Image source: bellflight.com
After the announcement of the High-Speed Vertical Takeoff and Landing (HSVTOL)program The US Air Force received 218 applications from the industry. Of these, 35 models were selected for further work. Among them are fully autonomous drones, models for one person, as well as high-speed analogues of a helicopter that can accommodate up to 12 passengers.
Earlier, as part of the HSVTOL program, Bell Textron presented a line of aircraft capable of taking off and landing vertically, as well as reaching speeds of up to 740 km/h.
