Flying Humvee?

This is coolbert:

Here is an idea that will not "fly"?

The "Flying Humvee" they call it. A hybrid vehicle - - the "flying jeep"!

Read it all.

"Pentagon Chooses Two Companies to Build Flying Humvee"

"The race to build the world’s first flying military jeep just moved a step closer to the finish line."

"The Pentagon’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has selected two companies to proceed with the next stage of its Transformer, known as TX—a fully automated four-person vehicle that can drive like a car and then take off and fly like an aircraft to avoid roadside bombs."




Comments:

* Described as "automated"? Evidently a dedicated human pilot is not necessary? This remains to be seen. FLYING AN AIRCRAFT IS NOT THE SAME AS DRIVING AN AUTOMOBILE. FLYING AN AIRCRAFT IS MUCH MORE DIFFICULT.

[with an automobile, you are moving forward or backward and right or left. With an airplane, you are moving forward or backward [rotary wing], right or left, AND up and down all at the same time, and with the pilot having to make constant correction or you will CRASH!!]

* Generally speaking, when you try to engineer a "mechanism" of whatever type to be able to do "everything" - - you end up with a contraption that can do nothing? This will be similar?

* And as for avoiding the roadside bombs - - why not just stay off the roads? Used tracked vehicles that "lay down" their own road or just move cross-country on foot?

Let me predict that TX will not advance beyond the prototype stage and that will be that. NOT a good idea from the get-go!

coolbert.