SILENCE IS GOLDEN (AND HYBRID)
observation plane, an outgrowth of research on the “silent-fly- ing Q-Star” aircraft. Independently developed by the Lockheed Missiles and Space Co., it “became the first aircraft in the U.S. to fly using a Wankel-type rotary combustion engine developed by Curtiss Wright Corp.”
When combined with an electric motor, the Wankel engine becomes a generator that can run on gasoline, diesel or JP-8 (jet fuel), or even a combination of the three. Te quiet Silent- Hawk uses an electric motor to power the rear wheel and a small, front-hub-mounted electric motor to drive the front wheel, producing an all-wheel drive capability. Te hybrid components can be removed quickly to convert the bike to an all-electric configuration when the hybrid system isn’t required. Additionally, the hybrid system can be used as a power genera- tor for equipment in the field, eliminating the need to carry separate generators or batteries.
Te goal for range, in hybrid mode under nominal operating conditions, is 170 miles, including 50 miles in silent mode (no generator running). Te bike would maintain speeds above 50 mph for long distances, with a maximum speed of 80 mph.
FUTURE SCENARIO Logos engineers envision a small special operations team being dropped off with their SilentHawks by a small helicopter, then
STRONG SUPPORT
Currently in the prototyping phase, the SilentHawk would combine a hybrid-electric power system with Alta Motors’ RedShift MX motocross frame. The 40-horsepower off-road racing bike weighs 260 pounds and can run on a 5.2-kilowatt-hour battery. The SilentHawk was developed in part by DARPA, which foresees commercial as well as military applications for the vehicle. (Image courtesy of Alta Motors)
closing in on the enemy in the bike’s silent mode. After engag- ing the enemy, the team would rendezvous stealthily at a second landing zone. Also, the bikes could be used to evade ambushes by traveling over terrain that would be impassable in a four- wheel vehicle.
“Te goal is to provide small teams of warfighters with the ability to traverse difficult terrain without being detected,” said Dale Turner, Logos program manager. “By combining the terrain capabilities of a two-wheel-drive dirt bike with the low acous- tics of a hybrid drivetrain, you get covert mobility and portable charging capabilities without the range and power limitations inherent with battery-only systems.”
Once the SilentHawk prototyping phase is complete in fall 2016, the next phase could see the military replace motorcycles in ser- vice, such as the Kawasaki M1030 M1. DARPA anticipates that special operations forces will buy the SilentHawk, and that there could also be a substantial commercial market.
ADVANCING THROUGH HISTORY
The American military ordered more than 20,000 Harley-Davidson motorcycles during World War I and has employed motorcycles in battlefields across the world for nearly 100 years. Thanks to technology advances from a DARPA-led initiative, troops could soon be using a full-size off-road vehicle that incorporates two-wheel-drive and a multifuel hybrid capability. (Photo courtesy of
BikeBandit.com)
All said, it’s been a tremendous, duty-filled century for the military motorcycle and its courageous riders. In the future, SilentHawk promises to bring the warfighter an even more elusive advantage on the battlefield, where riders will patrol and protect in silence and then safely return home.
For more information about the SilentHawk, go to https://www.
logostech.net/products-services/slienthawk/. For a historical tour of Army AL&T for the last 55 years, go to the Army AL&T archives at
http://asc.army.mil/web/magazine/alt-magazine-archive/.
168
Army AL&T Magazine
January-March 2016
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