Plug That Plane In!

Horses achieve vertical takeoff....

With liquid fuel, the plane becomes LIGHTER as fuel is consumed, permitting better efficiency (until fuel is depleted) vs. time & distance in flight.

With batteries, the plane stays the SAME weight, meaning a ROCK got off the ground and later that SAME ROCK is gonna return to the ground, ie: aero-brick.

Am I the only one who wonders what the sling and tight rope are doing over the airplane?

Is it the extension cord? That's it. Someone forgot to unplug the overhead power supply.

A's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va., are studying the concept with models such as the unmanned aerial system GL-10 Greased Lightning. The GL-10, which has a 10-foot wingspan, recently flew successfully while tethered. Free-flight tests are planned in the fall of 2014.

http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/188338-nasas-electric-vertical-takeoff-airplane-takes-first-flight-aims-to-eventually-replace-the-helicopter

It's a catapult tower on the USS Eiffel.