A 3D-printed model of Airbus’s future concept plane for 2050 (image: Autodesk Gallery)
As if it weren’t already mind-bending enough to envision yourself
hurtling through the skies in a metal canister at 500 miles per hour,
now
Airbus
wants you to imagine your gravity-defying journey in an aircraft with
transparent skin. Tapping into some of the most cutting-edge design
thinking today, the aviation leader has developed a concept plane that
is not intended for flight—at least not in this iteration—but is an
innovation tool that “stretches the imagination of engineers,
and…highlights some of the challenges and decisions that lie ahead for
air travel.”
The concept plane, which they hope resembles the real Airbus models of 2050, takes
biomimicry
as a guiding principle for the design of forms and materials. The most
noticeable aspect of this approach is in the fuselage, which, instead of
being wrapped in opaque steel, is composed of a web-like network of
structural material that looks a bit like a skeleton. In fact, that’s
exactly what it should remind you of, because it’s inspired by the bone
structure of birds.
(image: Airbus)
In a
presentation on
the company’s future design plans, chief engineer Charles Champion
explained, “Bone is both light and strong because its porous interior
carries tension only where necessary, leaving space elsewhere.” The
space between the so-called “bionic bones”of the plane become panoramic
windows that wrap all the way around. “[Y]ou will be able see the
pyramids or the Eiffel Tower through the transparent floor of the
aircraft.”
An infographic showing results from Airbus passenger surveys on the future of air travel (image: Airbus)
While the structural design is inspired by creatures that have
existed for millennia, many of the materials are produced using
technology that as barely been known for a decade. 3D-printing is one of
the techniques that may enable Airbus to create the precise, spare
forms they require, first drafting them on a computer and then
manufacturing them through rapid layering that builds up the design
exactly as it’s intended, with no waste. For the cabin’s electrical
system, Airbus intends to integrate a brain-like “network of
intelligence” into the walls of the plane, which is responsive to
interior climate conditions and passenger needs without requiring huge
amounts of cable, wire and switches.
Shape-shifting “smart” seating and holographic entertainment (image: Airbus)
All of these strategies—the lightweight structure, waste-free
manufacturing, and wireless electrical systems—can contribute to
reductions in emissions and fuel use. The cumulative effect of using
fewer resources for each plane could result in a massive overall
improvement in aviation’s environmental impact. In that vein, the Airbus
concept plane is one of the few instances (at least for now), where the
term “organically grown” refers not to food, but to seating. The seats
of the plane will potentially be composed of plant-based biomaterials
which go a few leaps past memory foam toward smart materials that form
to and remember the body’s optimal position.
A full night sky view (image: Airbus)
Of course all of the aspects of physical comfort and wellness that
currently elude passengers will find their way into this in-flight
experience, too, in the form of interactive zones, where travelers can
socialize, play games, exercise and enjoy various holistic treatments
like massage and aromatherapy. It’s almost enough to make you forget
you’re trapped inside a pressurized container six vertical miles above
your home planet.
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