Flying Humvee Concept Presented

The military Humvee, as we've come to know it for the past decade or so, has been sent to the history books this February, when the 2011 budget report included a final order for 2,620 new Humvees, the last batch of AM General-produced vehicles to be delivered to the Army.

Currently, the US Army is in the process of looking for a replacement vehicle, which will most likely be produced by Navistar. But apart for the land-based military vehicles, it would appear the military is even eying a flying version of a let's call it Humvee.

As we already reported, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is currently seeking proposals for the army's first land-air hybrid vehicle, which can be used as a means of both road and air transportation/fighting. The project is called the Transformer (TX) program.

According to Popular Mechanics, one of the projects for the car is being developed by defense contractor Textron, who created a so called Transformer concept: a Humvee-based vehicle with wings and propellers.

The Transformer would feature a roof panel which holds the wings. The wings themselves would rotate and fold out from the sides, while the rotor system comes out of a mast. At the back, the vehicle would be equipped with ducted fans for forward motion. Several control surfaces would be used to control speed, pitch, roll and yaw.

The project is, however, a bit futuristic. DARPA's guest for a flying vehicle is just a project, while Textron says the Transformer is not quite on their next five years business plan. Yet, as it often happens with the military, if it can be done and it serves a purpose, it will eventually be done.