Airliners in 45 years ?
Discussion
I can't really see Blended Wing Body (BWB)designs coming into large-scale production within 45-years because that airframe business model is not as feasible as the current one.
An airframer can build one specification of wing & fuselage and from these core components offer a family of aircraft by merely adding/subtracting fuselage frames, offering different engine thrust options and possibly lighter or heavier undercarriage if optimisation is prioritised over standardisation.
With the BWB designs - each aircraft model is unique - there's not the option of offering a variety of payload capacities based around a core set of components - therefore more models are required.
It is airframe economics which is driving the move to composites. The composites used in the 787 & A350 are approximately 10% lighter than current aluminium-lithium alloy. Alcoa have a new aluminium-lithium alloy which they claim will result in aircraft being 10% lighter than composite aircraft - so the metal plane is not yet dead, it may just be experiencing a brief pause!
The two key claimed advantages of composite construction over aluminium-lithium are: (1) they can be more readily moulded into complex aerodynamically-efficient shapes than riveted alloy; (2)they have the greater potential for automated production thereby reducing the degree of "hand-building" required in aircraft construction , through the use of robotic lay-up machines.
Much is made of composites other properties for a/c construction, namely increased resistance to fatigue due to pressurisation cycles of the pressure vessel, better corrosion resistance etc but this needs to be off-set by the need to embed an aluminium/copper/phosphor bronze/titanium mesh for lightning conductivity and the need for titanium/aluminium/steel structures for potentially high-impact areas such as around flight-deck windows, its failure mode & field repairability issues.
In a nutshell, composites will allow airframers to increase automated and robotic aircraft construction so as to reduce costs,increase margins & increase output.
Look at the automated fuselage layout process for the V-22 Osprey as perhaps a guide to the future.
As a corollary of this is that the passenger experience will perhaps see increased cabin pressure, increased humidity, larger windows & gradually reducing inflation-adjusted travel costs.
An airframer can build one specification of wing & fuselage and from these core components offer a family of aircraft by merely adding/subtracting fuselage frames, offering different engine thrust options and possibly lighter or heavier undercarriage if optimisation is prioritised over standardisation.
With the BWB designs - each aircraft model is unique - there's not the option of offering a variety of payload capacities based around a core set of components - therefore more models are required.
It is airframe economics which is driving the move to composites. The composites used in the 787 & A350 are approximately 10% lighter than current aluminium-lithium alloy. Alcoa have a new aluminium-lithium alloy which they claim will result in aircraft being 10% lighter than composite aircraft - so the metal plane is not yet dead, it may just be experiencing a brief pause!
The two key claimed advantages of composite construction over aluminium-lithium are: (1) they can be more readily moulded into complex aerodynamically-efficient shapes than riveted alloy; (2)they have the greater potential for automated production thereby reducing the degree of "hand-building" required in aircraft construction , through the use of robotic lay-up machines.
Much is made of composites other properties for a/c construction, namely increased resistance to fatigue due to pressurisation cycles of the pressure vessel, better corrosion resistance etc but this needs to be off-set by the need to embed an aluminium/copper/phosphor bronze/titanium mesh for lightning conductivity and the need for titanium/aluminium/steel structures for potentially high-impact areas such as around flight-deck windows, its failure mode & field repairability issues.
In a nutshell, composites will allow airframers to increase automated and robotic aircraft construction so as to reduce costs,increase margins & increase output.
Look at the automated fuselage layout process for the V-22 Osprey as perhaps a guide to the future.
As a corollary of this is that the passenger experience will perhaps see increased cabin pressure, increased humidity, larger windows & gradually reducing inflation-adjusted travel costs.
J4CKO said:
Currently I think premium economy on a 787 with a pair of Bose QC 25's, plenty of booze and some decent films is about the best your average mortal can get comfort wise and not pay thousands for, that bit of extra room makes a big difference.
The A350 is miles better than the B787 IMHO. Flew both with Qatar, and the difference really is noticeable. Gassing Station | Boats, Planes & Trains | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff