Concept Plane:
Supersonic Green Machine
From
NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day
What
will passenger airplanes be like in the future?
To
help brainstorm desirable and workable attributes, NASA sponsors design
competitions.
Shown
here is an artist's depiction of a concept plane that was suggested in
2010.
This
futuristic plane would be expected to achieve supersonic speeds, possibly
surpassing the speeds of
the supersonic
transport planes that ran commercially in the late twentieth century.
In
terms of noise reduction, the future aircraft has been drawn featuring an inverted V wing stretched
over its engines.
The
structure is intended to reduce
the sound from annoying sonic booms.
Additionally, future
airplanes would aim to have relatively little impact
on our environment, including green limits
on pollution and fuel consumption.
Aircraft utilizing
similar design concepts might well become operational by the 2030s.
EDITOR’S
NOTE: Of course, on the inside of the amazing looking plane (see below), the seats will be tiny and it will cost you $5
to get a bag of pretzels. - W. Collette
Illustration
Credit: NASA, Lockheed Martin Co.
