His plane derives part of its energy from solar power. If successful, a derivative of Eraole might soon be serially produced for the private aviation market.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Beyond the boom
\nElectric and hybrid aircraft will make flying greener, but what about speed?
\nSignificantly increasing the speed of current jetliners means, inevitably, breaking the sound barrier, which presents a whole set of challenges, not all of them technological.
\nSupersonic flight isn’t exactly new: The Concorde linked both sides of the Atlantic for more than three decades until economic and political issues led to its retirement in 2003.
\nThe sleek Franco-British airliner remained an aeronautical curiosity, an experiment without continuity or replacement.
\nNASA has been particularly active in developing a new generation of more efficient, quieter supersonic airliners to revive commercial supersonic air travel as a viable proposition.
\nIt’s worked on such concepts with Boeing through the New Aviation Horizons initiative, and recently teamed up with Lockheed to research Quiet Supersonic Technology (QueSST).<\/div>\n
\nElectric and hybrid aircraft will make flying greener, but what about speed?
\nSignificantly increasing the speed of current jetliners means, inevitably, breaking the sound barrier, which presents a whole set of challenges, not all of them technological.
\nSupersonic flight isn’t exactly new: The Concorde linked both sides of the Atlantic for more than three decades until economic and political issues led to its retirement in 2003.
\nThe sleek Franco-British airliner remained an aeronautical curiosity, an experiment without continuity or replacement.
\nNASA has been particularly active in developing a new generation of more efficient, quieter supersonic airliners to revive commercial supersonic air travel as a viable proposition.
\nIt’s worked on such concepts with Boeing through the New Aviation Horizons initiative, and recently teamed up with Lockheed to research Quiet Supersonic Technology (QueSST).<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.aeropb.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/12334444.jpg\")
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n\nThe key is to find a way to smother the sonic boom that’s produced whenever an aircraft breaks the sound barrier.
\nConcorde, for example, was only allowed to make full use of its supersonic capabilities when flying over the ocean, thus significantly limiting the number of markets it could serve.
\nA lower sonic boom may allow a future supersonic airliner to fly routes over land, vastly increasing potential markets.
\nSpeed will still come at a cost, though. This why any supersonic comeback is likely to start with those that are most able to pay for it.
\nThe Aerion Corporation, a Nevada-based private aircraft manufacturer, and Airbus have already started work on a supersonic private jet, the Aerion AS2.
\nExpected to enter service early in the next decade, it’ll be able to carry up to 12 passengers at speeds of Mach 1.6.<\/div>\n
\nConcorde, for example, was only allowed to make full use of its supersonic capabilities when flying over the ocean, thus significantly limiting the number of markets it could serve.
\nA lower sonic boom may allow a future supersonic airliner to fly routes over land, vastly increasing potential markets.
\nSpeed will still come at a cost, though. This why any supersonic comeback is likely to start with those that are most able to pay for it.
\nThe Aerion Corporation, a Nevada-based private aircraft manufacturer, and Airbus have already started work on a supersonic private jet, the Aerion AS2.
\nExpected to enter service early in the next decade, it’ll be able to carry up to 12 passengers at speeds of Mach 1.6.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Hypersonic hype
\nOnce you’ve broken through the sound barrier, why not double down?
\nAlthough still closer to sci-fi than the tangible realities of today’s aviation industry, several research organizations, from Europe to Japan, are making inroads into hypersonic flight.
\nWe’re talking about aircraft capable of Mach 5 to 8, five to eight times faster than sound.
\nRealistically these revolutionary concept aircraft — with names like Lapcat and the Hikari — are several decades away, but they’re starting to appear like a very feasible possibility.
\nOne of the most ambitious concepts in the field of hypersonics is the SpaceLiner, being developed at the German Aerospace Center (DLR).
\nThe SpaceLiner applies space technology to commercial aviation in order to achieve speeds of up to Mach 25, enough to travel from London to Australia in under 90 minutes.
\nIn achieving this amazing speed, the SpaceLiner takes its passengers to the edge of space.
\nIn fact, it’s a two-stage concept, reminiscent of the, now retired, space-shuttle.
\nA booster takes a civilian-carrying stage to a height of roughly 80 kilometers, where the passenger vehicle detaches itself to carry up to 50 passengers to the other side of the globe.<\/div>\n
\nOnce you’ve broken through the sound barrier, why not double down?
\nAlthough still closer to sci-fi than the tangible realities of today’s aviation industry, several research organizations, from Europe to Japan, are making inroads into hypersonic flight.
\nWe’re talking about aircraft capable of Mach 5 to 8, five to eight times faster than sound.
\nRealistically these revolutionary concept aircraft — with names like Lapcat and the Hikari — are several decades away, but they’re starting to appear like a very feasible possibility.
\nOne of the most ambitious concepts in the field of hypersonics is the SpaceLiner, being developed at the German Aerospace Center (DLR).
\nThe SpaceLiner applies space technology to commercial aviation in order to achieve speeds of up to Mach 25, enough to travel from London to Australia in under 90 minutes.
\nIn achieving this amazing speed, the SpaceLiner takes its passengers to the edge of space.
\nIn fact, it’s a two-stage concept, reminiscent of the, now retired, space-shuttle.
\nA booster takes a civilian-carrying stage to a height of roughly 80 kilometers, where the passenger vehicle detaches itself to carry up to 50 passengers to the other side of the globe.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.aeropb.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/vvv.jpg\")
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n\nIn line with stringent safety requirements, the passenger cabin can also double as a rescue capsule.
\nBoth the booster and the capsule are fully reusable, an essential requirement to keep costs under control.
\nThat’s a principle well understood also by SpaceX and the emerging private space industry, that has also focused on developing reusable space vehicles.
\nDr. Olga Trivailo, a researcher at the German Space Center, DLR, says the SpaceLiner is also an environmentally friendly concept, using a rocket propellant mix of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen that produces only water vapour upon combustion.
\nThus, hydrogen has potential as a non-fossil fuel alternative, although first, a way would need to be found to manage the associated higher costs compared with kerosene, predominantly due to new infrastructure requirements.
\nDr. Martin Sippel, head of the Space Launcher Systems Analysis department at DLR’s Institute of Space Systems in Bremen, says it would be reasonable to expect wider use and implementation of hydrogen propellants in the next 35 to 50 years.<\/div>\n
\nBoth the booster and the capsule are fully reusable, an essential requirement to keep costs under control.
\nThat’s a principle well understood also by SpaceX and the emerging private space industry, that has also focused on developing reusable space vehicles.
\nDr. Olga Trivailo, a researcher at the German Space Center, DLR, says the SpaceLiner is also an environmentally friendly concept, using a rocket propellant mix of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen that produces only water vapour upon combustion.
\nThus, hydrogen has potential as a non-fossil fuel alternative, although first, a way would need to be found to manage the associated higher costs compared with kerosene, predominantly due to new infrastructure requirements.
\nDr. Martin Sippel, head of the Space Launcher Systems Analysis department at DLR’s Institute of Space Systems in Bremen, says it would be reasonable to expect wider use and implementation of hydrogen propellants in the next 35 to 50 years.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
The bionic cabin
\nWhile it’s difficult to anticipate which one of these different approaches to the aircraft of the future will prevail, one thing seems sure: The air travel experience will be transformed.
\nErgonomic and lighting improvements such as those found today on the newest airliners are just a foretaste of what lies ahead.
\nEven if Airbus’ vision of a “bionic smart cabin” made of natural, smart materials that adapt to the needs of each passenger is only partly realized, the scope for improvement is massive.
\nParadoxically, though, and because of aerodynamic requirements, the supersonic and hypersonic aircraft of the future may well be windowless.
\nThe need to make up for the lack of windows, plus the seating solutions that it opens up, is likely to spur a new wave of innovation that’ll further redefine the in-flight experience.
\nThe aircraft of the future will certainly take us to our destination in a faster, greener and more comfortable way.<\/div>\n
\nWhile it’s difficult to anticipate which one of these different approaches to the aircraft of the future will prevail, one thing seems sure: The air travel experience will be transformed.
\nErgonomic and lighting improvements such as those found today on the newest airliners are just a foretaste of what lies ahead.
\nEven if Airbus’ vision of a “bionic smart cabin” made of natural, smart materials that adapt to the needs of each passenger is only partly realized, the scope for improvement is massive.
\nParadoxically, though, and because of aerodynamic requirements, the supersonic and hypersonic aircraft of the future may well be windowless.
\nThe need to make up for the lack of windows, plus the seating solutions that it opens up, is likely to spur a new wave of innovation that’ll further redefine the in-flight experience.
\nThe aircraft of the future will certainly take us to our destination in a faster, greener and more comfortable way.<\/div>\n