The POD PLANES that could transform air travel: Radical concept craft may mean you never have to queue at the airport again
- Clip-Air proposes a new air transport concept based on a flying wing that carries interchangeable capsules
- Design consists of a single flying wing, and capsules carrying passengers or freight can then be attached
- This could allow people to hop on a capule at a bus station and stay on it until it attaches to the plane and flies
- Concept is futuristic and unlikely to be realised soon, according to an expert, who says first use will be cargo
When you travel abroad, instead of having to get a bus, taxi or train to the airport then wait to board the plane, imagine jumping on a capsule and not having to get out until you have flown to another country.
This could be a reality if a new project, called Clip-Air, becomes commercially available.
The project, developed Switzerland’s Federal Polytechnic Institute, aims to transform the way people and cargo travel, making the process of flying much simpler.
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Clip-Air is composed of two elements.
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First is the flying component, which includes airframe, cockpit and engines.
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Second is the capsules. These detachable pods can act as cabin or cargo hold, depending on the chosen configuration.
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The capsule is the equivalent to a conventional airplane’s fuselage, but without motors, without a cockpit, without fuel, without landing gear, or any of the other parts that usually make up a
plane.
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Although air traffic has been increasing steadily by several per cent per year around the world, the concept of air transport has not seen any fundamental changes since the 1950s.
‘Airports are become ever more disconnected, waiting times are becoming longer, traffic levels are increasing, and overloads and delays are increasingly becoming the norm in air travel,’ said Claudio Leonardi, in charge of the Clip-Air project.
Clip-Air proposes a revolutionary air transport, with a concept based on a flying wing that can carry mobile and interchangeable capsules.
The airplane consists of a single flying wing, and capsules carrying passengers or freight can then be attached to this wing.
Pod planes like this allow cargo to be moved cheaply from one mode of transport to another, because queues at airports and waiting times can be cut down or avoided completely.
Despite its being a futuristic project, the scientists behind the project work under rigorous constraints to make sure it is technically feasible.
Science and Technology: New Clip-Air concept plane could revolutionize air travel from Akademi Portal on Vimeo.
With its autonomous capsule, the size of a railroad car – about 98 feet (30 metres) long and 30 tons heavy – its design is compatible with rail tracks while also fitting into a conventional airport.
A pair of long metal legs protrude from each side of the flying wing. These legs contain the landing wheels mechanism, which keep the airframe high above the ground.
The height is to allow for capsules to be hung from the belly of the aircraft, not unlike the way warplanes carry bombs and missiles.
These capsules could be made to carry either passengers or cargo
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the chances of this happening are not high, according to Addison Schonland, founder of Airinsight, a consultancy providing market intelligence about the aviation industry.
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‘Although it may be brilliant from an engineering point of view, it is going to be very tough to make it work commercially,’ Mr Schonland told CNN.
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He said the technology would need to be proven and well-established. He added that it is dubious whether the market is ready for the new concept, but if it is to take off it would be seen on cargo first.
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The speed and range of Clip-Air is expected to be on a par with that of modern mid-sized airliners.
But the beauty of the concept rests precisely upon the versatility provided by the capsules.
These modules can be adapted to simultaneously carry a wide range of cargo and passenger combinations.
This means travel would be more flexible, closer to our needs, more efficient and less energy-consuming.
‘We still have to break down several barriers but we do believe that it is worth to work in such a concept, at odds with current aircraft technology and which can have a huge impact on society,’ said Mr Leonardi.
Just like shipping containers, Clip-Air capsules could be seamlessly transferred onto trucks and trains, opening up a world of possibilities, not only for freight operators but also for the airline industry.
Passengers might board a capsule at a local bus station and wake up in another city on the other side of the country, or planet, after a road, air and rail journey during which they didn’t leave their seat.
The company hope the pod planes will revolutionise travel the same way shipping containers have revolutionised global buying and selling.
Transfer of goods from truck to giant cargo ship to freight train is seamless, and the container can be used repeatedly. This drastically reduces the cost of long-distance shipping.
But the chances of this happening are not high, according to Addison Schonland, founder of Airinsight, a consultancy providing market intelligence about the aviation industry.
‘Although it may be brilliant from an engineering point of view, it is going to be very tough to make it work commercially,’ Mr Schonland told CNN.
He said the technology would need to be proven and well-established. He added that it is dubious whether the market is ready for the new concept, but if it is to take off it would be seen on cargo first.
Mr Leonardi, however, remains adamant about his ultimate goal to build an aircraft able to fly simultaneously three capsules with the capacity to carry 150 passengers each.
‘The development of the concept requires performing more advanced aerodynamic simulations and testing a 6 metres long flying model powered by mini-reactors in order to continue to explore the concept’s flight performance and to demonstrate its overall feasibility’, Mr Leonardi said.
AP News Türk / Science
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