A plane that turns into a submarine sounds like a gadget straight from a James Bond movie.
But recently, Boeing received a patent for an amphibious drone that can become a submarine at the click of a button.
The unmanned drone is launched aboard a larger host aircraft, gets separated near its target and flies on its own. When required, the drone would detach its wings and go for a dive like a submarine while underwater. Boeing mentions that it will use explosive bolts and water soluble solvents to detach its ‘flying mode only’ parts at the right time.
Image courtesy USPTO/Boeing
For better maneuverability underwater, the amphibious drone will detach its rear wings and propelling blades while a second set of water propellers are used to easily move through the water.
Like many other crazy patents, this also might never actually see the light of the day. But if Boeing decides to move forward with the production of this amphibious drone, it could prove to be very useful for the military. The amphibious drone could be used for underwater reconnaissance missions or to deliver goods to larger submarines.
