A civil aviation company is working with the military to develop a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft.
The aircraft, called verticraft, is a combination of helicopter and jet plane that is capable of taking off and landing using helicopter rotors and flying at high speeds using two jet engines.
The plane is expected to be a multi-role military aircraft capable of carrying out search and rescue missions during times of peace and war. In addition, the aircraft would act as a gunship on the battlefield.
The plane is being developed by Taichung-based Modus Verticraft, which plans to produce its first prototype in June and a second prototype, which will be larger and more powerful, in two to three years.
"By August, we will find out from the military how they want the aircraft to be," said Chiang Shan-yung (江上永), president of Modus.
"The aircraft we are building is to serve the defense needs of Taiwan in the future. If runways at military airports are damaged by enemy fire, all the fighter planes will become useless," Chiang said. "The verticraft will be the sole survivor."
The military's next-generation fighter plane is also expected to be a VTOL aircraft, but there are doubts it will be a plane manufactured by Modus.
The air force is working on a Joint Services Fighter (JSF) with the US, and some versions are expected to be capable of vertical take-offs and landings.
A defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the air force plans to purchase the JSF as its next-generation fighter plane.
The plan is to buy roughly 60 JSFs in 10 years, deploying them at Taichung's CCK military airport, the defense official said.
The Indigenous Defense Fighter planes at CCK would be removed by that time to Taitung's Chihhung air base as second-line fighters.
The navy also has plans for buying VTOL-capable aircraft, although it may cancel the purchase because of the huge costs associated with this kind of aircraft.
The aircraft the navy is interested in is the AV-8B that is being used in the US. The navy plans to buy a squadron of the planes, around 16, but the price of the aircraft and its cost-effectiveness are major factors that mean naval leaders remain undecided over the deal.
Because its cheaper, the a lower-end VTOL aircraft being developed by Modus makes it attractive to cost-conscious militaries.
"Our verticraft will be affordable to any country which has a regular army. It will be sold at US$4 million each," Chiang said. "It will suit both rich and poor countries."
"We will have considerable orders from the US military for the aircraft. The aircraft is expected to replace the MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft now used by the US marines. The MV-22 has been grounded for deadly crashes that happened last year," Chiang said.
The Modus verticraft is a revolutionary design, patented in both the US and Taiwan, Chiang said. Its original designer was a US citizen and Vietnam War veteran.
Chiang's company estimates that within five years there will be orders for 200 verticraft and 110 unmanned versions of the aircraft. The company expects to earn over US$700 million from the deals.
Since last year, the Modus verticraft has been listed in a yearbook published by Jane's publishing company.
Jane's says the verticraft has a maximum speed of 300kmh and a maximum range of 1,000km.
But Modus says the verticraft has a maximum speed of 800kmh and a maximum range of 1,500km.
"It all depends on the engines. If we have more powerful engines, we will be able to make the verticraft become more efficient," Chiang said. "We will also try to enlarge the twin-seat aircraft to accommodate a company of soldiers."
ROLLER-COASTER RIDE: More than five earthquakes ranging from magnitude 4.4 to 5.5 on the Richter scale shook eastern Taiwan in rapid succession yesterday afternoon Back-to-back weather fronts are forecast to hit Taiwan this week, resulting in rain across the nation in the coming days, the Central Weather Administration said yesterday, as it also warned residents in mountainous regions to be wary of landslides and rockfalls. As the first front approached, sporadic rainfall began in central and northern parts of Taiwan yesterday, the agency said, adding that rain is forecast to intensify in those regions today, while brief showers would also affect other parts of the nation. A second weather system is forecast to arrive on Thursday, bringing additional rain to the whole nation until Sunday, it
CONDITIONAL: The PRC imposes secret requirements that the funding it provides cannot be spent in states with diplomatic relations with Taiwan, Emma Reilly said China has been bribing UN officials to obtain “special benefits” and to block funding from countries that have diplomatic ties with Taiwan, a former UN employee told the British House of Commons on Tuesday. At a House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee hearing into “international relations within the multilateral system,” former Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) employee Emma Reilly said in a written statement that “Beijing paid bribes to the two successive Presidents of the [UN] General Assembly” during the two-year negotiation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Another way China exercises influence within the UN Secretariat is
LANDSLIDES POSSIBLE: The agency advised the public to avoid visiting mountainous regions due to more expected aftershocks and rainfall from a series of weather fronts A series of earthquakes over the past few days were likely aftershocks of the April 3 earthquake in Hualien County, with further aftershocks to be expected for up to a year, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. Based on the nation’s experience after the quake on Sept. 21, 1999, more aftershocks are possible over the next six months to a year, the agency said. A total of 103 earthquakes of magnitude 4 on the local magnitude scale or higher hit Hualien County from 5:08pm on Monday to 10:27am yesterday, with 27 of them exceeding magnitude 5. They included two, of magnitude
Taiwan’s first drag queen to compete on the internationally acclaimed RuPaul’s Drag Race, Nymphia Wind (妮妃雅), was on Friday crowned the “Next Drag Superstar.” Dressed in a sparkling banana dress, Nymphia Wind swept onto the stage for the final, and stole the show. “Taiwan this is for you,” she said right after show host RuPaul announced her as the winner. “To those who feel like they don’t belong, just remember to live fearlessly and to live their truth,” she said on stage. One of the frontrunners for the past 15 episodes, the 28-year-old breezed through to the final after weeks of showcasing her unique