Imagine Wright Brother having the chance of reincarnation to 21st century. They would be astounded by metamorphism of their
wiry miniature craft " Kitty Hawk" in 1930 to big flying machines clouting the skylines worldwide.Wrights won't have imagined, spindrifting the world half-way spilling out just few hundred dollars in today’s flying machines .One thing more that bewilders is the indegenous use of Aircrafts in varied traits and their complex forms like Colossal Spaceships for space operation, Big airliners for transportation and civil aviation,Two seater personal jets , to miniature UAV's for military combat operations .Litrally, aircrafts have pioneered unimaginable sound barriers,cruising to speed of light, vertical take offs, safe landing, and visiting moon and mars.
After listening numerous paeans Of Aircrafts, you must be tempted to think what lies ahead, lapping in the luxuries of todays feats , what are the complications that future belies.Confused just like other denizens of air world. So let me take you to a world, world of deep fathomless skies of new innovations that are set to strike the skylines.So what are waiting for open your eyes and tie your seat belts to journey into future of Aircrafts, through these questions that keep creeping in Aerospace world.
Q With launch of an aircraft carrying 1000 people, Aircraft's have captured the extremes of science and technology, what's up next in Boeing camp?
Airbus's new A380, the world's largest commercial airplane, exemplifies the European aircraft maker's belief in strong demand for an aircraft that can transport volumes.Its launch Setting a turbulence in Boeing camp,Meanwhile Boeing is placing its bets on developments in the midsize market, where it hopes to get a one-up on Airbus. The US aviator's new 787 Dreamliner was conceived with the expectation that passengers prefer to fly point-to-point rather than having to change planes at busy hubs. The Chicago-based company built the plane using a high proportion of composite materials to save on fuel and maintenance costs, giving some relief to airlines plagued with soaring fuel bills. And your smiling walk to ticket counters begins here.
Q Is notion of Aero-elastic wings and morphing conceivable in Aircrafts of future?
Aeronautical engineers are going beyond wings that merely flex, but developing aircraft surfaces changing themselves from one shape into another, much as arm muscles bulge and flatten. These possibilities arise largely from the use of so-called smart materials, a broad range of substances that can shorten, elongate, flex, and otherwise respond mechanically to electricity, heat, light, or magnetic fields .Even on a modest scale, such reshaping of aircraft contours could greatly enhance vehicle control ,performance and fuel efficiency upto 20%.
Twenty years on , it would be astonishing to see aircrafts powered with unimaginable features for instance wings that can telescope, curl, or fold--may be on the way, yielding extraordinarily versatile airplanes and missiles that change their shapes according to the missions and environment they are expected to perform in.
Q. Emergence of Un Armed Vehicles(UAV's) and feasibility of pilotless aircrafts in next decade?
Imagine in an military operation, you need crucial information about enemies movement,don't worry you don't have to send in some intelligence , small miniatured aircraft UAV's monitored by sattelite and a army van loaded with computers will serve the purpose, dowloading the pictures and then sending them back to mainstation,It can also launch a combat operation through laser guided missile attacks, this may sound like a star wars episode, but this is future of wars where all army operation would be fully integrated through the networks of UAV’s.
But how come UAV's be forced to fetter away from commercial airlines cockpit.Thats what contemplates imagining future aircraft without Pilots. But can lives of so many people travelling bMachines.Ironically the history of aviation being profound with countless accident and casualities involving aircrafts with human being as pilots.Human error would be zeroed in with advanced UAVs.
Q Will there be another supersonic Flight?
Man's dream of a supersonic flight soured after Concorde project in quagmires due to financial constraints.But still some believe that there might be another possibility in next 20 yrs as these new alternate technologies capable of flying at the speed of light flourishes.
The Hypersoar is a notion behind an aircraft flying at 10 times the speed of sound, swindrifting the earth within 3 hours. Using hydrogen fuel, it would use air-breathing, rocket-based engines to ascend to the outer limits of the Earth's atmosphere where it would cruise in oscillatory motion, in and out of the atmosphere .
Q What's going on in NASA's camp?
As 20th century melts it way, different forms air crafts and vehicles will replace the junky clutter of today's machines, whisking passengers at ultra sonic speeds around the earth and into space.
Thats Nasa's prelusion to 21st century quite clear and ambitious too.If everything emotes preplanned then you might be intimidated by your children saying "Dad we're buying a flat in Mars".
We have really butchered the aircrafts , warped them, miniaturised to exotic giants,speding them to a whiskers, ,changed their fuels. Everything you can think about these wild machines.I think machines rights commision might stragulate us on the charges of " cruelty against innocent machines". So let me stop you here for a breather, Juss close you eyes and imagine a car sized flying soucer landing in your backyard, seems quite frantic but thats the future of Aircrafts,it's weird and shining.