I must admit to having a liking for the K-Max, seems a sensible, simple and low risk solution to an obvious problem.
Lockheed Martin have released a new video showing it teaming up with their Squad Mission Support System unmanned vehicle, a less simple and much more complex solution to a less well defined problem.
Still, interesting.
Always love the head-on shot of the K-MAX (0:48s).
Wonder if it can lift more than a Wildcat? ;-)
Talk about going in light ,the soldiers don’t even have guns !
@DN, I’ll just do a quick check;
Lift Performance — ISA +15°C (59°F)
Sea Level 6,000 lb 2,722 kg
5,000 feet 5,663 lb 2,574 kg
10,000 feet 5,163 lb 2,347 kg
15,000 feet 4,313 lb 1,960 kg
not bad for a single 1800shp engine!
@paul g
Thanks, I’ve always thought the K Max was a good concept especially with our recent experiences.
I can just imagine someone trying to pitch it to the MOD,
naïve MOD employee – Sir, we’ve just found an excellent product that could save us millions in flight costs and would be very usefull for not risking valuable airframes like the Merlin and Chinook on mundane milk runs. It might be possible to use it as an ISTAR asset in both the land and maritime domains, infact the usefullness of the airframe are only limited by our imagination (I know but it is a pitch!)
MOD – Is it made by AW?
……………… Unconfortable silence ……………..
@all
How about a few of these for recce and 16 AAB? :-)
Very ‘Return of the Jedi’
Hoverbike aims to take aviation to a new level
http://uk.reuters.com/video/2014/08/20/hoverbike-aims-to-take-aviation-to-a-new?videoId=340553849&videoChannel=4000