A 325-pound, one-fifth scale model of DARPA’s 24-prop XV-24A LightningStrike has transformed in flight:
While this sort of feat is not unheard of — it’s performed by Ospreys and NASA drone prototypes alike — it is a crucial step in scaling up the prototype into its 12,000-pound final form, complete with 61 foot wingspan.
The full-sized version of the craft will be built as an uncrewed drone, with a targeted top speed of 300 to 400 knots, much faster than what helicopters can hope to achieve.