It wasn't long ago when screens on the backs of the front seats in airplanes were science fiction, when a call from a height of 11 thousand meters was impossible, let alone a wireless network. Today, all this is taken for granted. And those phones on airplanes. Those are long gone. As well as there is no longer a user who only wants to fly. Here is now a technologically "aware" traveler. The range is suitable for this, and airlines, including NASA, are always on the hunt for improvements.
What's the next big thing in the aviation industry? Maybe a flying donut, even more screens? Planes without windows? Let's see what kind of (flight) charts commercial aviation hides.
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"Green" planes
In March, the Swiss will go on a round-the-world flight with their own solar-powered plane Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg. If the experiment is successful (it will take place in stages), fossil fuels will lose a considerable part of their clientele in the future. Then there's the series N+3 from NASA, which is a three-generation leap into the future of aircraft and which will have extremely low emissions. One of the models will be called Double Bubble and will be slightly slower than today's commercial aircraft, but will therefore cut emissions by quite a bit 70%. It is the next in line of green planes Sky Whale, a plane by a Spanish designer that can transport 755 people and take off vertically. There is also a European one in the green club Airbus PRO green Aircraft Concept, which will use eco-friendly solutions in all segments.
When: is already happening
Dividing the armrest
The fight for backrest, which is usually shared by seats that are adjacent to each other, is an old saying and we are used to it mainly from movie theater. But the same problem also occurs on airplanes, where he will solve the problem in the future Origami, a device that the passenger will be able to bring onto the plane. And what is the "fora"? It is an "attachment" that will once again increase the existing backrest, Ms delimited and extended. It will be made of neoprene and plastic and will stand around 25 euros. Do we smell a new "knee defender"?
When: this year, in 2015
Screens… screens everywhere
In the future, it may happen that the now white plastic walls of the inner hull will be replaced interactive screens. In addition, there are many other areas that can be better used and dedicated to them interactive role. When a French company Technicon Design introduced a plane without windows IXION, probably screamed especially those who are tormented by claustrophobia, because suddenly they will no longer be locked in a tube. The interior will be dressed in OLED panels, which will be with the help of external cameras transmitted a picture of the environment in real time and provided panoramic views by choice.
When: in the next 10-20 years
A flying doughnut
Once we board the plane, we are instantly just another sardine in a can. A narrow passage is the only one free to move, and that too on the condition that the steward has not set up a barricade there with his cart. Innovators are trying to change that and are fighting each other to see who will do more spacious cabin. Airbus wants to patent the concept A flying doughnut, which would be shaped like a donut, which would mean more space for movement, and the wings would also be a continuation of the nose of the plane and would not protrude as they do now. According to the new system, we would therefore enter "auditorium", but the plane itself would also be more aerodynamico, which consequently means lower consumption and less emissions. Since it deviates considerably from the familiar, the future of the donut is still uncertain.
When: not so very soon
Adjustable seat
One project that took the chairs under scrutiny is "Butterfly seat", butterfly seat. Its advantage, in addition to offering comfort, is said to be that it can be changed in a very short time from an economy class seat to a business class seat. Of course, both classes would remain, but the option to have more lower/higher-rank seats available brings benefits flexibility which would benefit both passengers and airlines. Some years have a high inquiry in business class, while in others the picture is completely different. And if both requirements can be met by the same aircraft, we all win.
When: over the next few years
Five star first class
When transforming the largest passenger plane in the world, two-storey Airbus A380, the design firm Acumen is planning on the upper floor nine apartments first class. Of these, six will be able to join together, as is the practice in some hotels. In the future, the A380 even wants to have one bowling alley. Of course, Airbus is far from the only one working on such treats.
When: is already being implemented (e.g. spa centers, bars in cabins,...)
