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Airbus Looking at Radical Aircraft Layouts
Airbus is looking at radical aircraft layouts — including flying wing designs and high-aspect-ratio, high-wing aircraft — under a European Union-funded technology program known as Nacre (new aircraft concept research). The four-year effort started in April, according to research and technology vp Dieter Schmitt.
Nacre is one of a number of programs aimed at reducing aircraft carbon dioxide emissions by 50%, cutting accidents by 80%, and reducing passenger waiting time to 15 minutes, says Schmitt. European researchers are also looking at ways to accommodate highly customized air travel — private aircraft, air taxis and vertical lift aircraft — within the air traffic environment, and at “ultra cost-efficient” aircraft designed for low-cost carriers.
Airbus sees potential fuel savings of 20% in the engine, 20% in the airframe and 10% by better air traffic management. Ultra-high-bypass engines could be mounted on the fuselage or under a high wing. One promising technology is the use of micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) for aerodynamic flow control, says Schmitt, possibly establishing an airflow condition that is neither truly laminar nor entirely turbulent and helpful in reducing drag.
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