Super silent military motorcycle "SilentHawk"
As a result of the preliminary selection, representatives of the Pentagon chose a project that was provided by Alta Motors and Logos Technologies. It was these two firms that received the funding required to translate ideas into reality. The low-noise military off-road motorcycle makes it a special power plant - an electric motor with a hybrid system of energy supply.
Under normal conditions, that is, being far enough away from the locations of the special operation, the SilentHawk motorcycle will be able to move at the expense of the energy generated by the generator associated with the universal internal combustion engine. Its versatility lies in the fact that diesel fuel, gasoline, alcohol, and even jet fuel are suitable as fuel. Such an omnivorous engine will be a serious advantage of the device, especially in the conditions of special operations in the enemy's rear on its territory or simply in a large separation from its own services and supply bases.
At the same time, if the need for stealthy movement arises, the SilentHawk motorcycle can be easily transferred to a fully electric drive, in this mode it will receive energy from the installed rechargeable batteries. In this mode of operation, the motorcycle should not make noise exceeding 55 dB, it is below the sound level during normal conversation of two people. In a more “loud” mode of operation, when an internal combustion engine (ICE) is used, the noise emitted by this military motorcycle should not exceed the threshold in 75 dB, which is comparable to the sound that a normal household vacuum cleaner produces.
The basis of the future military motorcycle was taken already existing racing electric motorcycle RedShift MX production company Alta Motor. The company Logos Technologies in 2014 year has already conducted tests of the hybrid installation for this motorcycle. In the new motorcycle chassis from the company Alta Motor should be combined with the new engine from the company Logos Technologies. Currently, the program to create SilentHawk has moved to the second phase of implementation, which will consist in the development of a fully functional model of a military motorcycle. For the development of the first prototype companies 18 months are given. After the expiration of this period, the campaign to conduct extensive field trials of this two-wheeled novelty should start. It is worth noting that the demands of the military, which will be presented to the new combat vehicle, are not yet fully defined.
SilentHawk should be a special motorcycle with a hybrid engine, which will be designed for reconnaissance missions. According to the employees of Logos Technologies, which is working on the creation of a hybrid power plant for this unit, the motorcycle can perfectly move even on the most difficult surface, while it will accelerate to speed in 88 km / h (55 miles / hour). It is assumed that the first valid prototypes of this motorcycle will be tested only through 1,5 of the year.
An interesting point is such a detail as a removable engine. It is reported that the engine can be simply removed, after which the bike will not just weigh less, but also be able to turn into a fully-fledged fully electric motorcycle. Only on a single charge of installed batteries will it be able to travel up to 80 kilometers (50 miles). But in the future, the performance of the reserve when using an electric motor may change, as currently work is continuing to improve the design of this promising military vehicle.
After dismantling the internal combustion engine, the resulting free space can be used to accommodate any suitable cargo. For example, instead of an internal combustion engine, you can install spare parts, communications equipment, ammunition, or any other equipment you need to complete a specific mission. This solution significantly increases the functionality of the motorcycle and its versatility as a light transport platform. In addition, this solution easily turns the SilentHawk into a full-fledged electric motorcycle.
Prior to that, the American command of special operations had already tried to use the Zero MMX motorcycle for similar purposes, but this idea was finally abandoned. The reason for the failure was the short duration of the motorcycle from the installed batteries - a total of 2 hours.
On the other hand, just a couple of years ago, the emergence of such technologies in the modern arms market was difficult to imagine. However, today a hybrid military motorcycle has become almost a reality, which is already almost embodied in the metal. Just imagine the picture when a group of elite commandos secretly sneaks into the enemy rear on silent all-terrain motorcycles, which for the enemy becomes a complete surprise. The enemy can simply be taken by surprise. It is this picture that the American generals expect to see as a result after the motorcycle with a hybrid power plant is finally ready and goes to combat units.
Information sources:
http://www.qwrt.ru/news/2751
http://www.ridus.ru/news/175817
http://www.motonews.ru/news.moto?id=11536
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