Has DARPA "jumped the shark"?

[sublight]

http://news.discovery.com/tech/flying-car-pentagon-jetsons.html

https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=1912b1f953dd005feb5709174213c432&tab=core&_cview=1

DARPA wants basically an SUV that flies. They want it to be able to have a 250 mile range on a tank of gas. Since they didn't specify how big the gas tank needs to be, I am going to assume any size is OK. If that is the case I think the Marines have this covered. Just put some large 4x4 wheels on an Osprey and it fits the requirements.... B)

 

[mz]

Technology development at the top level seems to be almost always really detached from reality. Be it NASA, DARPA or any other organization.

 

[AeroFranz]

Since they didn't specify how big the gas tank needs to be, I am going to assume any size is OK.

The vehicle, in road configuration, has to fit in a 8.5 x 9 x 30ft box.

And yes, DARPA Jumped the shark a while back.

 

[sferrin]

Since they didn't specify how big the gas tank needs to be, I am going to assume any size is OK.

The vehicle, in road configuration, has to fit in a 8.5 x 9 x 30ft box.

And yes, DARPA Jumped the shark a while back.

In what way? ???

 

[AeroFranz]

well, let's look at the requirements of Vulture and RapidEye, just to name two that I am familiar with. You end up in one case with an airplane whose wingspan is measured in football-field multiples, in the other you are actually shooting an ICBM at a (supposedly) hostile nation to deploy a small surveillance asset, which tends to make people nervous.

I guess both in terms of CONOPS, and technology requirements, some of these RFPs sound flawed.

By the way, for those not familiar with the term "Jump the shark":
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jumping_the_shark

 

[sferrin]

well, let's look at the requirements of Vulture and RapidEye, just to name two that I am familiar with. You end up in one case with an airplane whose wingspan is measured in football-field multiples, in the other you are actually shooting an ICBM at a (supposedly) hostile nation to deploy a small surveillance asset, which tends to make people nervous.

I guess both in terms of CONOPS, and technology requirements, some of these RFPs sound flawed.

By the way, for those not familiar with the term "Jump the shark":
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jumping_the_shark

I saw the one with the ICBM-launched inflatable glider. Yeah, that was dumb. I wouldn't call it "jumping the shark" though. "Jumping the shark" would be if DARPA spent a $billion to figure out how to make airplanes out of dirt with unskilled labor in hopes of getting more money out of the current administration.