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| Science & Technology |
| Submarine-Launched Helicopter |
| 2007-11-08 |
| Though it looks like an unmanned drone, and probably a tiny one at that, the Waterspout is no flying shrimp. The autonomous craft is designed to fly up to 80 miles, pick up two passengers, and return to its starting point on the open ocean. The small helicopter, designed by a team from Technion University in Israel and Penn State, would be able to launch from a submarine swimming 50 feet below the surface. The craft would float to the surface, deploy its blades, take off even in rough seas, and fly autonomously to pick up its passengers. And, naturally, it would also use stealth technology, since you can imagine that this robo-chopper won't be deployed for run-of-the-mill pick-ups. Instapundit says: "Every Bond vilain will want one." Bwahahahahahaha! |
| Posted by:Mike |
| #4 hope our subs are structurally sound for that weekly side-to-side rocking the Seaview always incurred, as well as the Cthulhu-like sea demons, aliens, etc. that Dennis Kucinich controls with his mind oops , sorry , wrong blog-speak :-) |
| Posted by: Frank G 2007-11-08 20:26 |
| #3 Just a matter of time before they have the "Flying Sub" from Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea... |
| Posted by: imoyaro 2007-11-08 20:08 |
| #2 No surprise here, as this helicopter has been dev/planned at PSU since the 1980's. The outcome of any future UAV-UV Battlespace Combat [Land. Sea. Air, Space] may be determined by whom has the most numbers of [integrated]UV + remote "Motherships", sub/Node-Ships, etc. D *** NG IT, HOW DID KHALID MOHAMMED AND MUHAMMAD ATTA, ETC. NOT GET THIS HELO TECH FOR 9-11??? |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2007-11-08 18:11 |
| #1 I suspect it can do other things as well. Note the "too much information" in the article, about it returning to its launch point. That is just the sort of information submariners never want mentioned. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2007-11-08 13:46 |