FLYER Vehicle

[DogDiesel]

FLYER, LLD, INC rolled in to Fort Bragg with a beauty. Called the FLYER; for once, I saw a machine that put every HUMMER, Jeep, Bronco, Blazer, or any real intent to be four wheel drive to shame. Absolute shame. What an awesome machine!

BTW, SF has used it as platform of choice for a few years, the vehicle is built in CA for military only.

Powered by a 118 HP, turbo, intercooled, MFI (Detroit Diesel-via Italy) diesel four-banger twisting a 3 direct or 4 SP OD auto slap-shift, this baby brought more to the table than I have ever seen. It weighs in at 3500 lbs, near the size of a HMMWV, and can stack another flyer on top of it's rails, drive itself inside a C130. Yes, it can drive around and load itself with another FLYER sitting on top itself. This ant-like machine can carry its weight in payload. and get this.

With 3000 lbs on its 3500 self, it beat every record for speed and terrain, ever set by a wheel or tracked vehicle. Faster than any tank, or the lowly HMMWV.

Like a go-cart, its tubular chasis is pure business, carrying more, and allowing more weapons mounted than a HMMWV dreams. If they do (dream).

One HMMWV can be sling loaded under a UH60L helicopter, 2 FLYERS can! Two HMMWVs under a Chinook, with spreader bar 3, but 3 flyers in a Chinook with 2 inside, and at every turn, more, more, more the FLYER can do. Probably more FLYERs with a spreader bar under Chinook.

Logic says the FLYER for God and Country. But, there is little Politics, just a good product. Oh, gee, after research, there is politics. Go figure.

I wonder if it has a chance.

BTW, there is nothing classified about this vehicle.

http://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/article.cfm?Id=466

"The Flyer vehicle competing for the ITV award is a modified version of a model currently used by the Singapore military, said Bob Parker, a Flyer Co. representative. The key modification was to reduce the width in order to fit in the V-22, Parker said in an interview. The vehicles can be stacked in aircraft and ship cargo compartments."

For your information (FYI)

[DogDiesel]

Information about the Dietroit Diesel Engine can be found at:

HTTP://www.vmdiesels.com/sun.htm
and
HTTP://www.vmdiesels.com/d-700.htm

Picture of a FLYER stacking can be found at:
http://www.adi-aero.com/flyer/stacking.htm

general FLYER info can be found at:
http://www.marvingroup.com/flyer/

If you are curious about what one of the best diesel 4WD vehicles looks like, check this out.

[TBC]

I find the article about the Flyer and the vehicle for the V-22 interesting since I am a retired Army SFC (Aviation type) and working on the V-22 as a Supportability Engineer along side the Marine maintainers. I have vested interest in this program since I have been on it in some capacity for 12 or 13 years of the past 16 yrs. Hope the Army gets on board again soon.

I have a Duramax diesel but would love to have a Flyer for a toy. It would be a great 4 Wheeler.

[DogDiesel]

Apparently, the politics says the Marines cannot get the FLYER unless they get the Opressy bird.

Who knows what politics the Army will encounter?

This vehicle uses the KISS principal (Keep_IT_Simple_Stupid) and redundant componentry to keep going when invaribly a part breaks.

BTW the EFI version of the same DD engine is a 150 HP variety which too exceeds EPA, but is 100% commercially available.

The design is much better than recent ground vehicle procurements, such as HMMWV and the new trucks. This thing may not break enough for the military, and too the parts may not be spread across enough corporations. There is a political angle to it, I just do not know everything about it.

[hoot]

TBC,

Did we talk before? I'm also a V-22 program vet. Worked at BHC for 10 years and spend some time in Arlington just prior to first flight.

[TBC]

Hoot
We never talked about the V-22. I have been at BHTI for 16+ yrs and big chunk on the V-22 in pubs and logistics (now supportability eng). This FLYER sounds like an interesting vehicle and Dogdiesel is right about the politics. I see it everyday.

The Duramax is making good inroads here in Texas. In the eng. parking lot there are now 4 Dmax's out of about 150 vehicles and I have seen at least one other one around in another lot. I went to Ft Worth a couple days ago and saw 5 or 6 more on the road. I have been seeing more in the HEB area in the past month. Previously I thought there were not any others. They are selling like hotcakes now. I have my doubts about F**d claims as the best selling truck int Texas. I see far more GM trucks and especially HD's than anything else. Even the 1500's are in big numbers compared to the F150. Southwestern Bell has a fleet of 200 HD now but not any DMax that I have seen. I would really like to see some unbiased numbers on the sales figures.

Hoot send me an email at tbcobb@mindspring.com if you would like.

[hoot]

I got surprised last week when someone local e-mailed me for a little get together. Here's the three of us. The truck closest has two sets of real air powered train horns mounted under both sides of the truck. It's louder than a big rig.

I got another e-mail yesterday saying there another Dmax on the way. I see at least two or three every day now.

http://www.uscom.com/~hoot/cars/duramax/gmc/mako/mako.jpg

[TBC]

The GMC regular cab is a real rare truck. I can't remember seeing one in the HD around this area, diesel or gas. Those are some nice looking trucks.

[hoot]

Well the guy with the reg cab Dmax just added an extended cab to his collection.

[TBC]

It must be nice to have what it takes to own two DMAX'es. I am priviledged to own one. I am beginning to think GM has a big lead in sales of 2500HD vs 250HD. They seem to be everywhere.