Date published: 2005/08/17
The BBC says:
Plans for the world's first completely silent aircraft have been unveiled by Cambridge University engineers.
Environmental campaigners and people living on flight paths have already welcomed the campaign to build the jet.
Now it could become a reality some time in the next decade and Luton Airport is be a partner in the venture.
The main development is a new shape for the aircraft after engineers identified traditional designs caused much of the noise at landing and take-off.
The new aircraft is basically a flying wing and would be silent once it left the airport.
Project leader Paul Collins said: "It's a radically different design from the traditional tube and wing we are all used to flying in.
"For passengers we think it will be like flying in a cinema or theatre seat.
"People are used to that and I think they will be very comfortable with the new design."
Cambridge's engineering department has gone even further to dampen noise and the solution is to mount the engines on top of the aircraft so all the noise would be generated upwards.
The initial prototype design should be finished within six months and it is hoped production might start within the next decade.
Well it's early days. A non-tested prototype proves little. And even if it works from a noise point of view, does it work from an economic point of view, and will this technology get over the usual inertia against new technology? Since it's a European initiative it's possible Boeing and the US government will not be keen to adopt it. (It's possible even Airbus will not be keen.) But hopefully this technology will work in a meaningful way (in terms of engineering and economics) and become standard for most airplane travel.
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