Land Rover LR3 Navigates C-130 Hercules Aircraft

State-Of-The-Art Navigation System Allows Pilots to Fly from Nice to Corsica

Everybody knows that cars are supposed to stay on the ground, with the exception of stunt driving, and the occasional cross-continent express shipment. But is it possible to fly a car? Well, we cant exactly say that Land Rover was able to get one of its fine off-roading products to achieve any sort of altitude all on its own, with a pair of wings welded to its flanks, but for its latest series of advertisements, one of its products

Can a car fly a plane? Land Rover says "Yes" and proves it. (Photo: Land Rover)

did something that errs on the side of impressive.

In the latest installment of the "Extraordinary" ad campaign, Land Rover allied the brain power of a 2006 Land Rover LR3 with the brawn and flight capabilities of a C-130 Hercules

So far, the LR3 has amazed with its unique Terrain Response electronic transfer case. Next amazing feat? The navigation system. (Photo: Land Rover)

cargo plane. In the TV spot, the car is driven on board the 75,562 lb cargo plane, and, once it airborne, the crew of the airplane used the LR3s navigation system to guide the airplane at a height of 9,000 feet from takeoff at Nice, France to the island of Corsica in the Mediterranean Sea. For the record, no car

This is the Lockheed C-130 Cargo Transport. And you thought the LR3 was big... (Photo: Desktopia)

has ever done something like this before.

A bit more about the plane: the Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft is one of the hardest working cargo and troop-transport planes in the world. Serving duty in over 60 countries, it has endured the longest running "tour" of any military aircraft ever made. Therefore the pairing is fitting, as much like Land Rover, also used widely for military purposes, it is one of the most respected names in the industry. For the ad,

Nav works at 9,000 feet. You know... just in case. (Photo: Land Rover)

the C-130 was sourced from the U.S. Army Air Force, where the Hercules has been in service since December of 1956. Since that time, the combined total number of in-flight hours racked up exceeds 20 million!

"Thisis a truly extraordinary demonstration of the capability and adventure inherent within all Land Rover vehicles, and the LR3 in particular," said Sally Eastwood, vice president, marketing, Land Rover North America. We determined that the vehicles navigation system could in fact do this, and decided to make it a reality."

What makes the LR3 capable of performing this

Planning to traverse across Africa soon? Try an LR3. (Photo: Land Rover)

Herculean (pardon the pun) feat in such extreme conditions is its state of the art DVD navigation system. Using a touch-sensitive LCD display, the system can produce 2D and 3D display maps, and is capable of displaying on-road as well as off-road navigation. The ability to "map" uncharted territories is one thing, but the ability to do so with absolute accuracy is another. The systems tolerances for precision allowed a proper and direct flight path to be chosen and properly followed, even at 9,000 feet

The navigation system is just one aspect of the cars ICE (In Car Entertainment) package; it also features a two-mode telephone system. Drivers can either connect their cell phones directly

A snow-covered lake is a great opportunity to test the LR3s traction and stability. (Photo: Land Rover)

to the in-car system dialer interface through a cradle, or through the Bluetooth wireless link. The bright LCD screen is also capable of playing movies (if the vehicles park gear is engaged), through an available 550-watt Harman/Kardon Logic.7 surround sound system, all wired together using MOST (Media Oriented System Transport) fibre optic cables.
Of course, before the crew attempted to fly the Hercules aircraft using a navigation system from a mere automobile, they did a couple of runs in England. These pre-test clips, as well as a short documentary-style film about the making of the commercial can be found on Land Rovers website, www.landroverusa.com.

The related print ads will be coming to a magazine or newspaper stand near you, and quite possibly outdoor billboard form.

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