What does the future of flight look like?

                                                            PERSONAL TRAVEL

Flying had revolutionized our mobility a long time ago. You are able to overcome high distances in, compared to cars or ships, a short time period. Anyway, there are a few things we need to optimize on planes, because they are very loud and polluting due to fuel burning and vapor trails. The following examples show what the futures of flight could look like.

AROUND THE WORLD IN A SOLAR AIRPLANE

"Solar airplane: Able to fly day and night, 72 meter wingspan, 17,000 solar cells and advanced batteries"

In March 2015, a solar plane built to fly day and night in order to circumnavigate the world, took off for its first leg from Abu Dhabi to Muscat. The whole flight is Bertrand Piccard’s (known for his circumnavigation of the globe in a balloon) new project, which he organized together with André Borschberg.

The main item of this project is the solar aircraft which is developed especially for this event. It has a 72 meter wingspan (a Boeing 747-8l has 68.5 meter) and 17,000 solar cells. Its body is made out of carbon fiber therefore it is just as light as a middle-class car. The energy collected in the solar cells is stored in lithium polymer batteries, whose energy density is optimized. Because of that, this is the only airplane of perpetual endurance, able to fly day and night on solar power.

FLIGHT IN 2030

"Concept aircraft: Six hydrogen engines, solar panels on the wings, wind turbine to gain on-board electricity and new materials

An even more futuristic vision is the concept aircraft from Oscar Vinal. The plane is his proposal for a quiet and environmentally responsible aircraft which could be built in 2030. The plane would be powered by six hydrogen engines and would feature solar panels on the wings and a wind turbine on board that would generate energy in-flight. The body is made of new materials like ultra-light graphene, titanium or aluminum alloys.

Also, on the inside it differs significant from today’s planes with panoramic cinema and 3D screen features. The windows could be replaced by screens, thus the drag can be highly reduced. The capacity is 800 passengers but its comfort is very high with wider seats and a cockpit with special crew member’s room containing beds and a work area.

THE RETURN OF SUPERSONIC FLIGHTS

"Supersonic flight: Speed of 1900 km/h (Mach 1.6), without windows and certification in 2021"

In 2003, one of the well-known supersonic jet airliners stopped it flights, but soon there could be another airplane flying commercial routes in supersonic speed. Two big aircraft companies announced their partnership in 2014, which is a big step forward as they combine global dimension with knowledge in supersonic flight technologies.

The business jet they are looking to manufacture will be tested in 2019 with the objective of certifying the world’s first supersonic business jet in 2021. Just like the concept plane from Oscar Vinal, it could come without windows, but screens will be projecting a live stream of the outside surroundings.

To sum things up, the future of flights will be faster, greener, and quieter. And this would be important for the mobility of the future, because the need of planes is undeniable. - move forward magazine