Future Aircraft

Spike Aerospace President Vik Kachoria states that "Flying supersonic is clearly the future of aviation”. In the past 18 months the team at Spike Aerospace have made significant improvements in aa number of areas like sonic boom, range, and comfort in their design of their Spike S-512 Supersonic private Jet. They also added a new wing and tail design, that will reduce wave drag and fuel burn, which in turn will increase the plane’s range during both low-speed flight and supersonic cruise. Right now, its range is listed as 10,334 km, and its maximum altitude is expected to reach 15,240 metres.

Spike Aerospace aircraft will carry a maximum of 18 passengers, offering them panoramic views, captured by cameras surrounding the aircraft; soft leather seating; reduced cabin noise; higher oxygen levels; and high-speed wireless Internet access. With a price tag of $60-80M, this will be the ultimate private jet.

While Spike Aerospace supersonic aircraft announced their latest design breakthrough one pilot was already in action with a solar powered aircraft in a 5 day crossing of the Pacific Ocean. Swiss pilots, André Borschberg & Bertrand Piccard said that flying over so vast an expanse of sea, with no landmarks, was oddly soothing, and they felt utterly at peace.

Their five-day flight from Japan to Hawaii was a crucial leg in the round-the-world journey of Solar Impulse 2, a solar-powered single-seater that are getting people to rethink the idea of sustainable aviation. If nothing else, Borschberg has proven the innovative aircraft can generate sufficient power while in the air to stay aloft for days on end.

The Solar Impulse 2 is made largely of carbon fiber, it weighs just 5,000 pounds, with a wingspan greater than that of a Boeing 747. The wings and fuselage are covered with photovoltaic panels that charge the four highly efficient batteries that power the four 17.4-horsepower motors. The batteries charge during the day, when the plane cruises at nearly 30,000 feet. At night, the aircraft slowly descends to about 5,000 feet as the two pilots—Borschberg and Bertrand Piccard take turns flying the amazing bird—reduces energy consumption by easing back on the power.

The project started more than a decade ago, which included a smaller plane and shorter flights in Europe and across the US to prove the technology and refine the design. The current journey started in April in Abu Dhabi, but faced a technical issue after landing in China in May. Borschberg first took off from Nanjing, China, on May 30, but bad weather forced him to abort. Cloudy skies are an obvious problem for solar panels, and because of its very light weight, a strong headwind can actually push the plane backwards. 

As soon as the weather improved Borschberg left Nagoya, Japan on June 28, and landed at Hawaii’s Kalaeloa airport on July 3. He covered 4,481 miles in 117 hours and 52 minutes of flight. His altitude peaked at 28,000 feet and he flew at an average of 38 mph, just what the team had expected.

Not one on the team reckons that solar power is the future of aviation fuel, but this experimental aircraft is proving that solar can play a key role in future aircraft design.

A few weeks ago at the Paris Airshow, Airbus unveiled its two-seater electric aircraft that's nearly silent in flight. The E-Fan 2.0 electric prototype aircraft reaches speeds of 136mph and the plane can fly for up to an hour. Airbus projects that the all-electric model will enter service in 2017.
Airbus is investing 20 million euros (£14.73 million) in the overall design and development of the E-Fan 2.0. The main market for this aircraft are flight schools and will help reduce the cost of pilot training. With this new technology Airbus’ ultimate goal is by 2050 to add a 100-seat electric plane to its fleet.

All these new ideas for aircraft of the future are great. What we really need is to combine solar and electric in a way to get the aircraft going supersonic. Elon Musk (founder Tesla Motors & SpaceX) has a few great ideas that he explains in the following video:

#FabrizioPoli is an Aviation Analyst & Managing Partner of Boutique Aviation Company Tyrus Wings. He is also an accomplished Airline Transport Pilot having flown both private Jets and for the airlines. Fabrizio is also a bestselling author and inspirational speaker. You can tune in weekly to Fabrizio's business Podcast Living Outside the Cube.
You can contact Fabrizio on:
fabrizio.poli@tyruswings.com OR Mobile: +44 7722 350 017