A-6 Business Weekly Article

‘Supergreen’ airliner set for unveiling By Ben Fountain, 02 May 2007, emailed 16 times

A crack team of Bedfordshire aerospace engineers will next week lift the lid on the prototype of a revolutionary, ultra-green airliner to industry and government heavyweights, Business Weekly can reveal.

Flying the green flag, Luton based airline easyJet Code-named the A6, the ‘environmentally benign civil airliner’ project is the result of around 60,000 man hours of development at Cranfield University and is packed with a suite of technologies that make the plane quieter, more fuel efficient and much more comfortable for passengers. One of the more attention-grabbing elements of the radical new design for the average air commuter is that the new jet would fly at slower speeds than the planes currently in commission in order to save fuel – flying at Mach 0.74, instead of the industry standards of 0.83 or 0.85. But its enlarged fuselage compensates passengers by providing substantially more space. It even has larger windows to improve the flight experience for passengers. While the University says that the aircraft will not be taken forward in its current form, it is confident that elements of the technology will be adopted, generating significant research contracts for the institution in the process. The team has progressed the project to the point of developing physical models, using rapid prototyping software. To take it on to the next stage in the process – known in the industry as ‘detailed design’ – would cost something in the order of $10 billion according to Cranfield. The plane is being pos-itioned as a theoretical replacement for the Boeing 777, with an ability to carry 300 passengers over long ranges. The team, which is led by Professor John Fielding, the head of Cranfield’s aerospace engineering department, will unveil prototypes of the aircraft in front of an invited audience of 100 guests comprising top officials from government and the airline and manufacturing industries on May 10 at the Open University in Milton Keynes. Boeing, which has played a role in the development of the technology, will be attending, as well as industry giant, BAE Systems. Prof Fielding gave Business Weekly a sneak preview of some of the innovations that will be showcased. “We have been closely involved in the development of the CMI’s Silent Aircraft project for some time, but we wanted to move beyond noise to look at what we see as something more important in the grand scheme of things, namely global pollution.

“Among the innovations we have introduced is a straight, high-aspect wing, aimed at reducing drag and therefore fuel consumption, in addition to a number of measures to reduce airframe noise and technology such as noise shielding.

“Both the interior has been designed on industry-standard software meaning that it is as close you are going to get outside the industry to a real design.” The comprehensive design also includes breakthroughs in flight deck display systems, flight management systems; fuselage structure and emp-ennage; fuel systems and propulsion; landing gear design; as well as communication and surveillance systems. Besides the potentially global impact of the work, it has significant resonance locally, where the huge growth earmarked for Stansted has been vociferously opposed on environmental grounds. Low-cost carrier easyJet in Luton has called for the Government to ban almost 700 of the oldest and most polluting aircraft. Andy Harrison, its chief executive, said: “Governments and regulators must begin to recognise that some aircraft are dramatically more environmentally-efficient than others.” There is general scientific consensus that increasing levels of man-made greenhouse gases are resulting in global climate change. The possible consequences, of which, include rising temperatures, changing sea levels, and impacts on global weather. Prof Fielding said: “Aviation, whilst currently responsible for only a small percentage of carbon emissions, is one of the fastest growing contributors. “As it is recognised that aviation is important to the economy and hence needs to continue, it is essential that measures to significantly reduce the impact of air travel on the environment are urgently taken. “In addition to the global impact of aviation there are concerns for the local environment particularly in the vicinity of airports. This includes air quality and noise and we hope to address these issues. “Beyond these major issues there are also the opportunities for improving the health and comfort of passengers during flights.” Some of the proposed technological solutions will increase costs, Fielding said, while others such as those aimed at the reduction in fuel burn, will reduce costs. It should be possible, therefore to make significant advances without a detrimental impact on the airline business. “If the industry fails to be proactive in addressing these issues then there is a real possibility that many organisations that are lobbying for environmental protection could force governments into introducing measures that could prove damaging to aviation and the economy in general.” While confident that some of the technology would be adopted by the airline industry in the medium term, Prof Fielding believes that the green ethos behind the project would also become embedded in the longer-term. “Based on past experience, many of the people involved in this project will be snapped up by the industry, in time becoming chief designers and air force marshalls, taking with them much of the knowledge from this project.”