The future of airplanes may resemble the changes we are currently seeing in cars and ground transportation. Fuel consumption and environment pollution being a major expense for the airline industry and enviroment. This is opening up opportunities for hybrid engines and other electrification opportunities with wings that have the ability to morph their shape for greater efficiency. Here we bring you the five aircrafts of the future that can change the course of travel-
1. BOEING 777X- The new Boeing 777X will be the world’s largest and most efficient twin-engine jet, unmatched in every aspect of performance. With new breakthroughs in aerodynamics and engines, the 777X will deliver 10 percent lower fuel use and emissions and 10 percent lower operating costs than the competition. A true family, the 777X offers low-risk, profitable growth, industry-leading reliability and seamless integration with the 777 and 787 Dreamliner families for even more flexibility. But performance is just part of the story. With a spacious, wide cabin, new custom architecture and innovations from the 787 Dreamliner, the 777X will deliver the flight experience of the future.
2. A321 XLR- The A321XLR has been designed to maximize overall commonality with the A321LR and the rest of the A320neo Family, while introducing minimal changes needed to give the aircraft an Xtra Long Range with increased revenue payload. The changes include: the new permanent Rear Centre Tank (RCT) for more fuel volume; a modified landing gear for an increased maximum take-off weight (MTOW) of 101 metric tonnes; and an optimised wing trailing-edge flap configuration to preserve the same take-off performance and engine thrust requirements as today’s A321neo. In particular, the new optimised RCT holds more fuel than several optional Additional Centre Tanks (ACTs) did previously, while taking up less space in the cargo hold – thus freeing-up underfloor volume for additional cargo and baggage on long range routes.
3. A220-500 The potential A220-500 would be a great strategic asset for Airbus in the long-standing competition with Boeing and the 737 MAX. Airbus has an opportunity to launch a state-of-the-art, 150-seat aircraft that would, by all expectations, be far more economical than its chief competitor, the Boeing 737-7. The company could also look at improving commonality between the A220 and the A320neo family or bring in technologies that could play a role in a future new narrowbody.3.
4. XB-1 -The XB-1 demonstrator won’t take flight until 2021, but Boom unveiled the prototype to a group of aviation and aerospace executives at Centennial Airport in Denver. At 71 feet long, the XB-1 is a scaled-down version of the full production model that Boom hopes to have ready for passengers by 2029. The prototype only has room for the pilot, while the commercial-ready version will eventually hold up to 44 passengers. The demonstrator is expected to reach speeds of Mach 1.3, thanks to its three J85-15 engines, which are manufactured by General Electric, primarily for military aircraft.
5. FLYING V- A scaled model of the ‘Flying-V’ blended wing aircraft concept — first unveiled by Dutch researchers — has completed its first test flight in Germany. Airbus also emerged as the latest partner in the project, after Dutch flag carrier KLM threw its weight behind the project last year. The scale model weighs 22.5kg, has a wing span of 3.06m and a length of 2.76m. It was controlled via radio link, with TU Delft PhD candidate Nando van Arnhem as the drone pilot. Its two 4kW electric ‘ducted fan’ engines are powered by a 6kg lithium polymer battery. The concept features a V-shaped design that is passenger cabin, fuel hold and wings in one, powered by a pair of rear-mounted turbofan engines. It promises up to 20% better fuel efficiency compared to an A350, and is around 15% more aerodynamically efficient compared to conventional aircraft. In its baseline configuration, the Flying-V would seat about 314 passengers in two classes.
