The Marines Are Testing a Glider Drone Made of Plywood
Getty John Moore
By Kyle Mizokami
Apr 20, 2017
A new drone concept could lead to a cheap and disposable way to resupply Marines in hostile territory. TACAD, or TACtical Air Delivery, can deliver quarter ton payloads at ranges of up to 70 miles. The drone could even be used in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief situations, sending food and aid precisely where it's needed.
The Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory, an arm of the Corps that develops new equipment, is studying TACAD as a means to resupply troops on the battlefield. TACAD is designed to be pushed out the cargo ramp of an aircraft at high altitude—say, a Marine KC-130 transport tanker. TACAD has a glide ratio of 15:1, meaning for every foot of vertical travel it glides fifteen feet horizontally. Dropped at 30,000 feet, TACAD could travel up to 85 miles—depending on weather and terrain. A GPS navigation system would then land the drone within 150 feet of its destination.
http://www.popularmechanics.com/military/aviation/a26150/marines-testing-plywood-drone/
