• acosmichippo@lemmy.world
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    9 months ago

    More recently, the US Air Mobility Command tried flying one C-17 Globemaster III some 3-6,000 ft (900-1800m) back from another, “surfing” the vortices left in the lead plane’s wake – much like ducks flying in formation – and found there were double-digit fuel savings to be gained.

    But Texas startup Aerolane says the savings will be much more substantial with purpose-built autonomous cargo gliders connected to the lead plane with a simple tow rope. With no propulsion systems, you save all the weight of engines, motors, fuel or batteries. There’ll be no cabin for a pilot, just space for cargo and the autonomous flight control systems that’ll run them.