This is what aerospace engineers come up with when they let their imaginations run wild.
Airbus says up front the Concept Plane, unveiled Monday at Farnborough International Airshow near London, is more of an "engineer's dream" than anything we might ever see. It's unlikely a real aircraft might look like this. Instead, it reflects what experts in aircraft materials, aerodynamics, cabin design and engines came up with after considering what air transport might look like in 2050.
Aircraft manufacturers, like automakers, periodically engage in these flights of fancy. Charles Champion, Airbus executive vice president of engineering, says the technologies in the concept are feasible but "not likely to come together in the same manner."
"Here we are stretching our imagination and thinking beyond our usual boundaries," he said in a statement. "With the Airbus Concept Plane we want to stimulate young people from all over the world to engage with us so that we can continue to share the benefits of air transport while also looking after the environment.”
The Airbus concept looks similar to concepts we've seen from Boeing and others -- and doesn't look much like what we are flying today. With environmental concerns moving to the fore, the concept contemplates how to make planes more eco-friendly. It features long, high aspect ratio wings, an interesting U-shaped tail and engines incorporated into a lightweight fuselage.
Beyond the interesting overall design, Airbus talked about new interiors. It mentions morphing seats that change shape to fit passengers and "walls that become see-through at the touch of a button, affording 360 degree views of the world below." We'd like to see the "holographic projections of virtual decors" that let passengers "transform their private cabin into an office, bedroom or Zen garden."
Seems safe to say there are some within Airbus who truly are allowed to imagine something beyond normal aircraft interiors.
The "what-if" exercise continues with the possibility that fuel cells, solar cells and even passengers' body heat could provide energy for some (presumably non-essential) systems. And the airliners of tomorrow could fly in formation like geese to reduce drag, and therefore fuel consumption and emissions.
Images: Airbus
See Also:
