Aircraft in the future could feature three decks, generate their own power and be 75 per cent quieter than current aircraft, according to designs for new concept plane.
The Progress Eagle would have capacity for around 800 passengers and would run on hydrogen fuel rather than the high-grade aircraft fossil fuels used today.
The Airbus A380, currently the world’s largest passenger airliner, carries around 525 people.
The AWWA-QG Progress Eagle was dreamed up by Barcelona-based designer Oscar Viñals as part of his vision for how travelling by air could be in 2030.
His design uses six hydrogen fuel engines – one to drive a central screw-type engine at the rear to achieve the thrust needed to take off along with five superconductive engines.
Once it reaches the right altitude, however, the central engine turns off and starts to generate electricity from the airflowing through it.
Solar panels would also help to generate electrical power that the aircraft uses while it is in flight. Mr Viñals said that the aircraft would produce zero carbon emissions and would also be far quieter than current airliners.
Excess energy stored in the aircraft’s batteries could be recovered by special electrical storage trucks on the ground when it lands.
The cockpit itself is located on the second deck and includes beds an office and a workroom.
According to Mr Viñals the aircraft would be made from lightweight materials like carbon fibre, aluminum, titanium and ceramics.
He said the wingspan would be 96 metres (314 feet) with the option of folding a section of the wings to make the aircraft easier to manoeuvre in airports.
An Airbus A380 has a wingspan of 80 metres (262 feet) and a Boeing 747 is 64 metres (209 feet) across.
Mr Viñals said: ‘The Progress Eagle is based in the technology beyond 2030 with ideas from quantum mechanics, if we consider the evolution of current technology and future progress in uses of theoretical physics solutions.
‘Today we can find these technologies in the most advanced laboratories around the world (universities, private companies, government installations) and in the theories of the best scientifics. For these reasons, the innovations that the Progress Eagle presents could be available in fifteen years’ time.
‘The most relevant aspects about this “Super Jet” would have a closer relation with quantum mechanics, we can simplify the airplane concept like a “Mega” energy’s particle with special specifications more orthodox than we can found in today’s physics.’
This is the second concept aircraft designed by Mr Vi̱als Рlast year he released designs for the AWWA Sky Whale, with a wingspan of 88m.
He said the Progress Eagle is more of a big brother to the Sky Whale.
