It’s because of the same reason why other continual thrust drives like the VASMIR drive would get to Mars more quickly: no Hohmann transfer orbits. Basically all spacecraft using hohmann transfers only initiate engine burn at two places and coast the rest of the way. With continual thrust drives, the engine is always…

Yeah, they should paint it purple to be stealthy

Perhaps, but those paddles are going to be a beacon in the infrared. Then again, you’d have to be pretty close for infrared targeting systems to work

Oh crap, he’s escaped his padded cell. Maybe we can lure him back with crayons and jello

I disagree, I mean look at Syria. You’d want as much as protection as you can get

Same here

There are rumors of next generation heavy active protection systems designed to protect against kinetic energy penetrators along with heavy explosive reactive armor

I think its safe to say most manpads’ max altitude is under 25,000ft, but the manned drone carrier is going to be a sitting duck for any decent anti-air system. Great for fighting in low intensity conflicts but not much else

Well I was going off what the wired article stated as torpedo sized and so assumed it’s intended purpose was a full fledged ISTAR role with all the standard goodies it requires. As it is, the testing and evaluation, verification and validation phase of even COTS parts or products will add a good chunk to the program…

I would hesitate to say “nearly identical performance figures”, especially since the target size seems to be as big as a “torpedo”. Seems to be more akin to a cruise missile in scope than say the average quadcopter, hence the Predator lite comment, since I’d imagine all that payload space being stuffed with electronic…

And those pesky ghosts

Small blimps would probably serve you better

Your conscience needs to be sacrificed so we can learn how to outprotoss the protoss

Think swarm tactics

Actual military hardware is not the same as consumer grade enthusiast hardware. Think of it as Predator lite instead of your average quadcopter

Do these choppers have hardened crash seats or ejection seats

Is that 100 years without maintenance or with maintenance? Because if it isn’t, lololololololol. GLHF with delamination and breakdown of the resin

So when you guys feel like eating barbeque, do you just throw the meat in front of the antennas for a couple of minutes?

http://www.spacex.com/news/2015/08/3…