Boeing’s team came up with several Subsonic Ultra Green Aircraft Research (SUGAR) concepts, including this one, the SUGAR Volt. The most noticeable element of the design is that the wings are long and skinny–longer from tip to tip, and shorter from leading edge to trailing edge–and as a result, truss-braced.
The innovative SUGAR Volt concept is driven by an electric battery gas turbine hybrid propulsion system that can reduce overall fuel usage by 70%.


The N+3 program told MIT, GE Aviation, Northrop Grumman, Boeing and their teammates to look into the future of air travel. Each team has been given either the task of looking at subsonic or supersonic commercial air travel (yes, we’re stoked about supersonic commercial flights in the future too) and Boeing was given the task of looking at both. Their SUGAR Volt concept decreases aircraft fuel burn by more than 70 percent and total energy use by 55 percent — partially by “greening” the plane’s electrical grid — while reducing emissions heavily over the life of the craft.

The hybrid electric propulsion also shortens the takeoff of the flight and significantly reduces the noise of the aircraft. The team was set to the task of looking 30 years into the future at air travel and coming up with solutions for operational and environmental performance issues that arise with current aircraft models.

As Boeing’s final report on the said, their concept, “is a clear winner, because it can potentially improve performance relative to all of the NASA goals.” Reducing noise and emissions related to global warming are all lovely ideas to us, but too bad we’ve got to wait 30 years to see them come to fruition. Boeing and the other companies involved in the NASA study have submitted their initial reports and after review some will receive funding for further development of their concepts.

Via [Inhabitat]

The

Light sport aircraft licences require just 20 hours’ flying time, making them much easier to obtain than full private licences.

The two-seater Transition can use its front-wheel drive on roads at ordinary highway speeds, with wings folded, at a respectable 30 miles per gallon. Once it has arrived at a suitable take-off spot – an airport, or adequately sized piece of flat private land – it can fold down the wings, engage its rear-facing propellor, and take off. The folding wings are electrically powered.

Its cruising speed in the air is 115mph, it has a range of 460 miles, and it can carry 450lb. It requires a 1,700-foot (one-third of a mile) runway to take off and can fit in a standard garage.
Via [Telegraph.co.uk] & [Thepesurfer]

The flying sailboat explores an new range of electric vehicles: solar panels located on top can tilt towards the sun for optimum energy generation thanks to an ingenious rudder system. On-board Lithium-ion batteries store the energy insuring a total autonomy.

Featuring a vertical architecture, the hypothetical vehicle will offer a good maniability with quick direction changes and easy landings without any infrastructure needed. The flying sailboat is a new dimension of our look into the future. Watch the video and get a taste of the dream.

[Damien Grossemy]
Via [design42day]

Cold War-era East German Airplane has been transformed into a luxury hotel suite. The airplane, which sits at the Teuge airport has been installed by Dutch company

Guests even have access to the fully-equipped cockpit at the front of the plane.The one-room suite includes three flat-screen televisions, a sauna, jacuzzi and a Blu-ray player.

The nightly fee of €350 even includes a 24-hour hostess.

Hotelsuites.nl
Via [TRENHUNTER]

The purpose of the competition was to fly a specified route using the smallest amount of fuel. Not only did Savier achieve the highest fuel efficiency (45 MPG), he did so with the highest average speed over the course: an incredible 207 mph.

Link

The biggest advantage to flying a tiny RC plane like the Micro Butterfly from Plantraco is that because they’re so light.
Thanks to a “body” made of durobatic foam and carbon fibre the batteries that go in the 4 channel fully proportional remote control are probably heavier.

Via [Neatorama]
Buy it here

Yuneec is an entrant in the green aviation market with the E430 , the first commercial version of a fully electric aircraft.
The twin-seat, single engine, LSA class aircraft can be recharged from a domestic 230V power socket and can fly for two and a half hours on a single charge. The $89,000 aircraft is expected to go on sale this time next year. The plane made its maiden flight in Shanghai, China and is reportedly silent and lacks vibration.

Powered by a 40KW motor, which is fueled by a 72kg lithium polymer battery pack, the plane will undergo FAA certification testing before its international debut at the Oshkosh EAA AirVenture 2009 next month.

Link Via [ecofriend]

Sponsoring the winning Brawn GP car at this past weekend’s race in Bahrain, Virgin Galactic announced their two latest recruits: Rubens Barrichello and Niki Lauda. Barrichello, who is second in the standings for the F1 world championship this year, has already paid the $200,000 for his ticket on one of Virgin’s space flights, which Branson delivered in person at the race. Three-time world champion Niki Lauda, however, is planning to take it even further by undertaking training, at age 60, to pilot the Virgin spacecraft and take other paying tourists up into space. Lauda already owns his own airline and sometimes pilots the flights himself, but even for the driver who’s been to hell and back, this should be a new adventure altogether.

Via [Luxist]

Starting this spring, SWISS will gradually introduce a new First Class cabin in conjunction with its fleet renewal program. The focal point is the new SWISS First Seat offering exclusive design, top in-flight comfort, and extensive privacy plus it can be individually adjusted to meet individual wishes and needs. The new “suite above the clouds” marks a further milestone in SWISS’ ongoing quality drive.

“With our new First Class, we’re setting new benchmarks for individual travel in an exclusive in flight environment,” says Christoph Beckmann, Chief Marketing & Product Officer. “Our ‘suite above the clouds’ underlines SWISS’ positioning as a top quality airline, and marks a further consistent step in our ongoing quality drive, both on the ground and in the air.”

Link Via [Wallpaper]

The “Transition” is a Personal Air Vehicle (PAV) designed to make general aviation more practical for personal transportation.

The Transition should get 30 miles a gallon in the air, Terrafugia says–even as it hit speeds of 120 miles per hour. Its payload is expected to be about 430 pounds, which should be enough for two adults and a couple of overnight bags.

For Transition owners with garages or tight urban parking spots, the car will come with retractable wings. With the wings folded up, the vehicle will have the footprint, so to speak, of a large SUV.

The Transition runs on gas and can go about 450 miles. Anyone can drive it as a car, however, you will need a key code to make the wings unfold.

The Terrafugia Transition will be making its debut next month and will be commercially available by the end of 2009. The cost is a pricey $194,000.
Link

Swedish artist Erik Nordenenkar claims to have created the “biggest drawing in the world” by sending a GPS-equipped plastic briefcase on a squiggly, looping trip around the world, tracing out a 110,664-km (68,763-mile) unbroken line with the help of DHL delivery planes and trucks.

Apparently, the drawing was done as part of an advertising campaign for DHL—which explains why a briefcase that looks like a bomb managed to crisscross the world in an accurate manner.

Link Via [Wired]

A setting reminiscent of a hangar, totally atypical and chic, hosts a sophisticated “fantasy” aeroplane with a decidedly surreal shape, decorated with white gold mosaic tiles, leather inserts and featuring a neat lounge with padded white sofas.

“The installation’s spectacular atmosphere, created by the use of reflectors, is reminiscent of a scene from an old Hollywood movie. At the heart of the aircraft is a circular lounge. I can imagine this thing flying, with a couple of lovers on board sipping champagne, the atmosphere charged with positive energy and emotions during their flight.

Link Via [Dezeen]

Private Jet bragging rights among the ultra rich have just taken a quantum leap to a lavish flying palace that is being created inside the biggest passenger plane ever built. The plane is the Airbus super jumbo A-380, the double-decker that can carry up to 800 passengers if it is configured with only the cheap seats. There will be just 82 passengers in the private version.

Airbus will not identify the individual who ordered the $300 million plane. That price, incidentally, is only the starting point.

Edése Doret, who designed the interior of the A-380, will say only that he is a “Head of state.” The New York-based Doret, who has customized jets since 1988, says his work will add another $150 million to the total cost.

The price tag includes the cost of modifying the fuselage for an “Air Force One Stairway” which allows passengers and crew to enter the plane directly from the ground through the cargo bay. That stairway leads to a lower spiral staircase which takes passengers to the entry lounge. Another, wide sweeping staircase leads passengers to the grand lounge on the upper deck.

Link Via [Bornrich]

Singapore’s first class has been a darling of the Asian routes with superlative service and cuisine. What may have been lacking in amenities has surely been addressed by their recent announcement. Starting in December, Singapore will roll out an enhanced first cabin with the largest seats in the sky, a whopping 35 inches across. The seat lays fully flat to create a massive bed with a down-filled mattress, duvet, and fluffy pillows. For entertainment, a mere 23 inch LCD screen will keep you happy with on-demand movies and games.

Link Via [Luxist]

Richard Branson has unveiled images of his Virgin Galactic civilian spaceship. The specially-outfitted Space Ship Two vehicle is designed to seat six passengers and two pilots. The craft will be hauled into launch position by a massive carrier craft called the White Knight Two. At a press conference, Branson said that his vision is to successfully build the world’s first environmentally benign space launch system and prove once and for all the commercial viability of a safe space launch system that he believes will eventually be capable of taking payload and science into space as well as people. Pioneers will have to pay $200,000 for the maiden voyage, which is planned for early 2009.

Link

Worldwide Aeros Corp, the Aeroscraft manufacturer and world’s leader in FAA-certified lighter-than-air vehicles, announced today it has entered into an agreement with hospitality design firm Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo (WATG) for the interior design of a new generation of airborne cruise ships.

To design the interiors of those airships, we’ve chosen the world’s leading design consultant for the hospitality and leisure industries, namely WATG.

Link

The Estes XB 39 Eagleye R/C Digital Camera Plane isn’t just a remote controlled plane. You can take amazing digital pictures from an eagle’s eye view with it. The giant Eagleye has a wingspan of 55 inches, is 34 inches in length and has twin ducted fan jet engines. You can take up to 26 aerial photographs with a simple push of a button on the transmitter.