Pop a Xanax Before Viewing This Video
Airbus believes that it can make flying faster and dramatically more fuel efficient by having planes travel in a triangle formation like geese.
As Charles Champion, Executive Vice President of Engineering at Airbus, explains, “You actually use the wake of the aircraft in front of you to burn less fuel. Actually we did that with the A400M, our military aircraft, and the pilot told me that when you’re behind the aircraft you save maybe 10% to 15% more fuel.”
In other words, get ready for some white knuckles.
How close will the planes fly to each other?
Champion says that “you’re not wing-to-wing flying together but it’s more like birds, [we're] talking about maybe one nautical mile separation.”
Considering that a 747 can travel at speeds of 570 miles an hour, one nautical mile isn’t a lot of breathing room.
In fact, you might want to pop a Xanax before viewing this.
Related Topics: Tech and Innovation
Just a question; if Airbus uses a “carriage-less aircraft” & launches off a platform; how do you land the thing? Is the pilot supposed to hit the platform on descent? When the plane starts to take-off how well attached is the plane to the platform; ’cause we don’t want the platform moving out from under the plane.
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The state of computers and radar today make this a very simple task. programming would be a bit challenging, a hook as used on aircraft carriers triggers onboard locks into action
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What a great idea. A carriage to launch aircraft on take off. And the craft keeps it’s landing gear intact so it can land without that carriage, just as usual. Saves fuel and nasty emissions.
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