Sat, Feb 12, 2022
Program Seeks High-Speed VTOL Concept Development to Guide Future USAF Aircraft Design
Jaunt Air Mobility is one of 11 companies that won a United States Air Force and Special Operations Command investment that hopes to crowdsource development of high-speed, vertical takeoff vehicles for use in austere, rugged environments often encountered by the branches.
The high-speed VTOL, or HSVTOL challenge, is hoped to provide a range of demonstrations to help the Air Force Research Laboratory to "understand how to build a new class of air vehicles."
The contract with jaunt will see 2 concepts of the initial proposed aircraft which will evolve into the Multi-Mission Air Vehicle MAV 55. The aircraft is said to combine the speed and lifting capability of a traditional fixed-wing aircraft along with the vertical takeoff performance used in Jaunt's Journey aircraft.
Their specialized Slowed Rotor Compound technologies are part of their claim to fame, offering increased efficiency and minimal downwash during landing operations.
The added acoustic benefits also have the makings of an excellent special operations aircraft, allowing for rapid, silent insertion deep in contested territory with minimal downwash effects common to desert terrain. Jaunt is reportedly seen as one of the more competitive among the contractors thanks to their aircraft's reliability, scalability, and production readiness.
The Jaunt Journey has a definitive headstart in comparison to some companies further behind in the development process.
"We are incredibly pleased to be working with the Air Force and SOCOM," said Jesse Crispino, Chief Operations Officer for Jaunt. We were confident in our team's knowledge of the mission requirements, having been personally involved in these types of operations, and our engineering capability to apply Jaunt's Slowed Rotor Compound technologies."
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