![DARPA’s Vertical Takeoff and Landing Experimental Plane (VTOL X-Plane) program seeks to provide innovative cross-pollination between fixed-wing and rotary-wing technologies and develop and integrate novel subsystems to enable radical improvements in vertical and cruising flight capabilities. In an important step toward that goal, DARPA has awarded the Phase 2 contract for VTOL X-Plane to Aurora Flight Sciences. Image: DARPA]()
A canard aircraft using 24 electrically driven rotors tucked inside its wings was selected by DARPA to demonstrate high speed and vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) capabilities. The revolutionary unmanned vehicle is scheduled to begin flight tests in the 2018.