THE EVOLUTION OF TRANSPORTATION | the dynamics of life
tions, such as adapting the shape of seats to the posi-
tion and specifics of the passenger’s body.
The traditional division of the cabin into classes will
become a thing of the past. Airbus plans to replace that
arrangement with a series of zones. A personalized
zone would include soundproof sleeping cocoons where
passengers could pleasurably stretch out full length and
enjoy soothing silence, and an interactive zone located
in the middle of the cabin that would serve for socializ-
ing and entertainment. Here it would be possible by
means of virtual projections to create a varied artificial
environment for all kinds of scenarios, reminiscent of
the holodeck in the Star Trek television series and films.
Imagine playing a game of golf at 36,000 feet... There
would be a “vitalizing zone” for rest and relaxation, fa-
cilitated by antioxidant inhalation therapy, aromatherapy,
chromotherapy, and even acupuncture. And a special
“Smart tech one” zone would be designated for those
who want to do a bit of work during the flight.
As for innovations in design and fuel economy, after
taking off and gaining altitude, this plane would be able
to change the configuration of its wings, making them
thinner and longer, thus cutting wind resistance, which
is a good way to save on aviation fuel. A U-shaped tail
would act as a shield designed to scatter the noise of
the engines. For that matter, it’s planned to integrate the
engines themselves into the body of the airliner so as
to even more substantially decrease fuel consumption
and reduce the amount of noise transmitted into the
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cabin.
At Airbus they’re planning for the highly intelligent
aviation of the future that will be able to select the safest
and environmentally most friendly routes.
Boeing is also working on creating an eco-concept.
Its SUGAR Volt airliner would be equipped with a hybrid
electric power system. The plane would take off on
power from its jet engines and then switch to the electric
motors after gaining the necessary altitude. On long
flights the electric motors could be turned off and the
engines powered with aviation fuel; this ability to switch
power modes could decrease aviation fuel consumption
as much as 70% and total energy use by 55%. The
plane would charge its batteries while it’s parked at the
airport. It’s proposed that the SUGAR Volt’s wings be
about twice as long as those of currently existing pas-
senger airliners, which should decrease the length of
the takeoff run and increase the energy efficiency of the
aircraft, as well as compensate for the considerable
weight of the batteries. The plane’s wings would fold to
allow it to fit into a standard airport gate space. The de-
velopment engineers also emphasize that the SUGAR
Volt’s hybrid power system would be far more eco-
friendly than current designs, greatly reducing noise and
greenhouse gas emissions.
But no matter how attractive hybrid solutions may
be, airplanes like these can’t be expected before 2030:
although fruitful work is being conducted in the elec-
tronic, automobile, and aviation sectors of industry in
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