INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has ended its experiment to create a heavy cargo seaplane
seaplane that could take off and land in rough seas
DARPA said in 2023 that it wanted the plane to have roughly the same size and capacity as a C-17 Globemaster, which can carry more than
work needs to be done to blend maritime construction with aircraft certification.In a statement, Aurora said the technology it developed
plan was to first build a demonstrator aircraft about the size of a C-130 Hercules capable of lifting 50,000 lb (22,600 kg), followed by an
eight-engine, full-size version comparable in payload to a Boeing C-17 Globemaster III, which has a capacity of 170,000 lb (77,000 kg), and
with a ferry range of 12,000 nautical miles (13,809 miles, 22,224 km).In addition to sheer size, the Liberty Lifter was meant to be able to
take off and land in State 4 sea conditions (waves 1.25 to 2.5 m/4 ft 1 in to 8 ft 2 in) and handle on-water operations in State 5 (waves
2.5 to 4 m/8 ft 2 in to 13 ft 1 in)
It was also supposed to be a showcase for new materials and use shipbuilding rather than aircraft manufacturing techniques to keep costs
down and speed production
new opportunities for the military and commercial organizations to conduct fast logistics missions, as well as develop innovative
manufacturing techniques and materials to bring down the cost of building large aircraft.The idea was to build a seaplane using advanced
composite materials that had enough range and payload capacity to carry out fast logistics missions as well as assisting in rescue and
Using the WIG effect that greatly increases lift at low altitudes by essentially trapping a cushion of air under the wings, the goal was to
create a series of seaplanes of unprecedented cargo capacity.DARPA said it restructured the Liberty Lifter program in late 2023 to pull
forward technical risk reduction activities
as building and stress-testing examples of the new methods and materials intended for the plane.Those simulations and tests showed the
concept was viable, DARPA said, and the novel building methods one day could help dramatically cut the cost of building large aircraft
The agency is now working with industry and other stakeholders in the Defense Department to figure out how to rapidly field these
technologies in other forms.DARPA confirmed it spent about $98 million in all on Liberty Lifter.Sources: AirForceTimes; New Atlas
