Aircraft Design 3000 Times Quieter 35% More Efficient.

Another new aircraft design has been introduced by a joint team of researchers from MIT and Cambridge (UK) University. The plane incorporates several innovations. First the engines on top of the craft, rather than under the wings, as is currently the norm. This helps make the new plane 3000 times more quiet than a conventional passenger jet.

This craft, dubbed the SAX-40 design is also "35% more fuel efficient than any airliner currently flying."

The design is a radical departure from current aircraft. The new craft is wedge shaped, rather than the familiar tube configuration of current airliners, with the wings extending from that shape. This contributes to the efficiency of the craft, however this also makes it more difficult for aircraft manufacturers to build shorter or longer versions of the same plane without redesigning the entire vehicle. Maintenance would also be more difficult because the engines would be less accessible to ground-crews.

Even if these obstacles can be overcome, the earliest this airplane might come into service is expected to be around 2030. By then, hopefully the things will run on hydrogen, and we won't have to worry so much about fuel economy.

via: Marketplace Morning Report

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Before making aircrafts more silent...
written by GTW, November 10, 2006

I don't know about the states but here in Australia there are no rules against noisey vehicles. The people who celebrate this freedom the most are bikers with their horrible headache-giving choppers! Having a helicopter take off in front of you is more pleasant than to have one of these things ride past on the other side of the road (no exaggeration). These bikes are supposed to come with silencers fitted but I can't imagine how noisey these engines would sound without these so-called "silencers". The only thing they silence is your open-mindedness towards allowing some people have their freedom.

Why can't MIT or Cambridge come up with a cure for such hostile complexes that people have? At least a more painful electric chair!? j/k

Very aesthetic design
written by Me, November 14, 2006

Looks a lot safer as well. Normal planes are designed in a very hazardous way... They'll break apart before showing any visible signs of weakness. I never have understood how Boeing, and other companies can get away with making machinery like that for public transport.

Good design
written by Josh Reynolds, March 02, 2007

This is a very good design for an airplane. The whole body produces lift due to the shape. If we could get it flying, I bet it would save a heck of a lot on fuel costs. Only problem is that a lot of flying wings and BWB's are very dynamically unstable. Take the B-2 stealth bomber. If the computers helping it fly were turned off, no human could move the flaps fast enough to keep it in the air. the SAX-40 is probably no different. :-

SAX-40
written by Leslie, March 11, 2007

hello, do you know if this aircraft will be made available for Microsoft's current flight simulator, ( FSX), for all to njoy flying?

thank you,,

Wow
written by Anthony Gentile, August 14, 2007

I would like to say that we really need fuel efficency right now. I'm glad that these people are already considering the new changes to the current modern plane designs to not only reduce noise, but, to also increase fuel effiency. Al Gore will be pretty happy about new efforts to keep our Earth clean and conventional fuel free. We really need these planes. ;)

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