Morphing plane in works

Lockheed wins contract for technology

PALMDALE -- Lockheed Martin's Palmdale plant has been awarded a $9.3 million Air Force contract to study technology for an aircraft that could really change shape as flight conditions or missions change, as morphing does for film and video images. Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company-Palmdale will "develop and demonstrate technologies for seamless, aerodynamically efficient, aerial vehicles capable of radical shape change," an Air Force spokesman said in a printed announcement.

An artist's rendering shows NASA concepts for the 21st Century Aerospace Vehicle, sometimes nicknamed the Morphing Airplane. (NASA)

media.mnginteractive.com...

Story Link - www.dailynews.com...

That sounds like a great idea, but wouldn't that take hundreds of millions of dollars to successfully create. How are you suppose to design and manufacture a radically new airplane with less than $10 million?

Good point Protector, but the story says that 9.3 million dollars have been allocated to "study" morphing technology. If that were indeed a viable technology for military applications, I suspect that the federal government would readily suppy as much funding as may be needed.

Just an opinion,
Deep

Originally posted by Protector
That sounds like a great idea, but wouldn't that take hundreds of millions of dollars to successfully create. How are you suppose to design and manufacture a radically new airplane with less than $10 million?

more like billions

[Edited on 31-1-2003 by mad scientist]

I don't know if billions would be needed for just a prototype. I'm sure many, many millions would be required. $9.3 M would buy me a Cookie signed by all of the Congressional Leaders. What a joke politics is becoming. Who wants to start a new country? . Ok, seriously, even the study of morphing technology would either require that it already exists and they have stolen it or already have it, or they have to research stuff and make prototype materials, which again is very expensive. $9.3 M will barely pay for a group of scientists, raw resources, and the technology needed to put together possible models. Maybe that's all they need, but it seems to be cutting it thin to me.

On a side note, if I could change the shape of my car for the mood I'm in, it would have numerous financial and aesthetic applications... regardless of military use.

Hmm odd, I didn't think I clicked on THIS topic, but whatever, as for politics, we just need to restore the constitution, maybe need a little civil war, but I bet an awareness program would work just as well, without all the blood.

Sincerely,
no signature