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Racer-Rick t1_j6oqmxy wrote

Reply to comment by xanthraxoid in DARPA wants aircraft that can maneuver with a radically different method by Hypx

1500 feet is still longer then the 1092 foot long super carrier runway… Odd. Where are they planning on launching them from?

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xanthraxoid t1_j6pdqy6 wrote

I'm no DARPA-ologist, but I would hypothesise that this spec is for an initial phase to develop / demonstrate the technology, to be potentially followed by a more demanding spec aimed at a potential deployable asset.

Also, bear in mind that by far the majority of aeroplanes don't have to take off from a carrier. While being able to take off from a carrier is definitely a useful feature, being able to take off from a 1500ft runway still opens up a lot of potential places to fly from - old WWII aerodromes, for example. If you have a friendly airport nearby, there's less need to rely on using a carrier (though you'll still have to arrange fuel supply and other support stuff)

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Independent-Deer422 t1_j6pfemd wrote

Carrier capability is not a design factor for anything other than carrier aircraft. Everything else operates off a normal airfield.

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