DARPA Selects Performer Teams for Liberty Lifter X-Plane Program, to define the seaplane’s design and capabilities.The Liberty Lifter program aims to design, build, float, and fly an affordable, innovative, and disruptive seaplane that operates efficiently in ground effect (less than 100 feet above surface).
source/image: DARPAtv
Can sustain flight altitudes up to 10,000 feet mean sea level (MSL), and enables efficient theater-range transport of large payloads at speeds far exceeding existing sea lift platforms.
The planned Liberty Lifter demonstrator will be a large flying boat similar in size and capacity to the C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft.
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Liberty Lifter will use low cost manufacturing akin to ship fabrication in building a highly innovative seaplane capable of meeting DoD heavy lift requirements (100+ tons) that operates with runway and port independence.Final designs for Phase 1 are expected by mid-2024.[3] The winning design will proceed to Phase 2.
