The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has chosen Bell Textron and Aurora Flight Sciences to move to the next phase of the SPRINT X-Plane development program.
Short for Speed and Runway Independent Technologies, the SPRINT initiative aims to design and build an experimental aircraft that does not require a runway and can fly at over 400 knots (741 kilometers/460 miles per hour).
According to a DARPA spokesperson, the two companies have been awarded separate contracts for Phase 1B, which covers preliminary design work for the vertical-lift aircraft.
They are given approximately one year to complete the phase – a relatively longer time frame compared to the six-month phase 1A for conceptual design.
Bell and Aurora’s selection means the other two competitors – Northrop Grumman and Piasecki Aircraft Corporation – have officially been eliminated from the program.
Concept
Bell’s SPRINT concept features an integrated propulsion system, advanced flight control technologies, and a folding rotor similar to the V-22 Osprey.
It leverages the company’s investment in high-speed vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) capability to blend the hover capability of a helicopter with the speed, range, and survivability of a jet aircraft.
Aurora’s concept, meanwhile, combines the agility of VTOL with unprecedented speed.
Its engine and blended wing body help the aircraft achieve a cruising speed of 450 knots (833 kilometers/517 miles per hour).
“Aurora and Boeing bring relevant expertise in blended-wing-body platforms, high-speed VTOL configurations, and military aircraft development,” Aurora Vice President Larry Wirsing said.
“The DARPA SPRINT program is an exciting opportunity to continue our history of advancing technology demonstrator programs that enable new capabilities for the US military.”