Frontline's
founder and Chief Executive Officer Ryan S. Wood, calls the
company's new VTOL-Swift Tactical Aerial Resource (V-STAR)
the 'HUMVEE of the air', as it could provides breakthrough
solutions for forward deployed military units, pushing logistics
and weapons where other assets cannot move. “With payload
at the center-of-gravity, V-STAR provides real mission flexibility,
enabling to reach targets often three times faster than helicopters"
said Wood. The same capabilities enable the platform to assume
area surveillance, observation and target acquisition roles,
carrying ISTAR payloads said Wood.
The V-STAR uses a vertical positioned ducted lift fan with
counter-rotating blades for vertical flight and hovering.
After takeoff the vehicle transitions to forward flight with
its “diamond-box-wing” and propelled by the ducted
rear pusher fan. Dual Rolls-Royce Model 250 gas turbines will
propel the aircraft at a cruise speed of 288 knots with a
400-pound payload for 650 miles. Endurance variations of V-STAR
can carry a 110-pound ITARS package for over 19 hours. The
long endurance is derived partly form the implementation of
Frontline's patent-pending MicroFire technology, contributing
to the high fuel-efficiency and reduced carbon emissions for
the Rolls-Royce Model 250 engine family.
The system is extracting heat from the engine through counter-flow
heat recuperator, transferring heat from the exhaust air back
to the compressed engine air before combustion. Such implementations
could double the overall thermal efficiency of the engine.
The 50 pound MicroFire system is designed for improved durability
and reliability of such system at a low specific weight, improving
fuel consumption as much as 40% with low pressure drop and
low power loss.