Aurora XV-24A LightningStrike // eVTOL Aircraft Overview by TransportUP

Quick Summary

The Aurora LightningStrike is being developed by Aurora Flight Sciences in Manassas, Virginia. The LightningStrike is a military variant of Aurora's VTOL projects.

Aurora Flight Sciences, based in Manassas, VA, USA.

Stage of Development

Preliminary Design

Prototype Build

Flight Testing

Certification

Commercially Operating

Technical Details

Aircraft Type: Intercity VTOL

Powerplant: Undisclosed, hybrid electric

Range: Undisclosed

Top Speed: > 300 KCAS

Propeller Configuration: 24 ducted fans

Passenger/Payload Capacity: 0 (autonomous)

Autonomy Level: Autonomous

Wingspan/Dimensions: >60ft

Product Overview

LightningStrike is the first aircraft in history designed to demonstrate the following:

Distributed hybrid-electric propulsion ducted fans
Innovative synchronous electric-drive system
Both tilt wing and canard for vertical take-off and landing
High efficiency in both hover and high-speed forward flight

Program Background

Created by Aurora Flight Sciences and partners Rolls-Royce and Honeywell
Developed for the Vertical Take-Off and Landing Experimental Aircraft (VTOL X-Plane) program
Funding from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)

Additional Information:

Fuselage length	> 38 ft	11.8 m
Overall height	~14 ft	4.3 m
Wingspan	> 60 ft	> 18.2 m
Tip-to-tip distance	> 60 ft	> 18.2 m
Empty weight	~ 11,375 lb	~ 5.16 t
Max gross takeoff wt	<13,000 lb	< 5.9 t
Useful load	~ 1,625 lb	~ 737 kg
Cruise speed	> 300 kt	>555 km/h
Propulsors	24 ducted fans
Motor output	18x 168 hp + 6x 121 hp	18x 125 kW + 6x 90 kW
Power type	hybrid electric
Passenger capacity	0
First Flight	2018

Our Take on the LightningStrike

Aurora Flight Sciences has a large pool of resources at its disposal - even more so following Boeing's purchase of AFS in November of 2017. The LightningStrike concept was a conscientious effort to corner not just the civilian eVTOL/VTOL market, but also the future of military VTOL applications. The LightningStrike completed sub-scale proof of concept test flights before being officially discontinued by AFS.