This is awesome!! So many cool ideas.
An experimental Boeing X-48B aircraft sports a unique design that smoothly combines its body and wings. The X-48B's "blended wing body" could become a popular template for commercial passenger planes in the coming decades because of its fuel-saving potential, according to a new report by the U.K.'s Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE).
If built, planes such as the Supersonic Green Machine would be the successors of the Concorde and the Tupolev Tu-144, the only supersonic plane designs to fly commercially. The Concorde, however, was an economic failure because of its expensive upkeep and the high cost of a ticket, which could run to several thousands of dollars.
Four corporate jets fly in close formation above New Jersey in this undated photograph. In the future, planes on overseas or long-haul flights could fly in V-shaped formations for fuel savings of up to 12 percent, according to the IMechE report.
Geese and other birds use this strategy to save energy on long flights. As air hits a bird in flight, it flows down the wings and creates vortices, which impose drag on a lone flyer. When flying in formation, the birds behind can ride on top of the vortices created by those in front, reducing drag on the overall formation.
Source.
An experimental Boeing X-48B aircraft sports a unique design that smoothly combines its body and wings. The X-48B's "blended wing body" could become a popular template for commercial passenger planes in the coming decades because of its fuel-saving potential, according to a new report by the U.K.'s Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE).
If built, planes such as the Supersonic Green Machine would be the successors of the Concorde and the Tupolev Tu-144, the only supersonic plane designs to fly commercially. The Concorde, however, was an economic failure because of its expensive upkeep and the high cost of a ticket, which could run to several thousands of dollars.
Four corporate jets fly in close formation above New Jersey in this undated photograph. In the future, planes on overseas or long-haul flights could fly in V-shaped formations for fuel savings of up to 12 percent, according to the IMechE report.
Geese and other birds use this strategy to save energy on long flights. As air hits a bird in flight, it flows down the wings and creates vortices, which impose drag on a lone flyer. When flying in formation, the birds behind can ride on top of the vortices created by those in front, reducing drag on the overall formation.
Source.
Comment