Are planes all a bit boring looking now ?
Discussion
Ok, probably not but everything seems to be in civil terms, 2 engines under the wings in varying sizes, like Audis and millitary stuff generally looks similar, the Osprey wbeing the only thing that looks unconventional.
I remember having a book as a kid and it had loads of different planes in and there were so many weird and wacky creations.
has stuff been developed and a formula evolved to what is efficient, and all the development is now in materials and technology ?
Was all the weird stuff experimental and proven to be bad ideas ?
I remember having a book as a kid and it had loads of different planes in and there were so many weird and wacky creations.
has stuff been developed and a formula evolved to what is efficient, and all the development is now in materials and technology ?
Was all the weird stuff experimental and proven to be bad ideas ?
Certainly mainstream airliners carrying 100 passengers upward are generally looking the same. After 90 years of airliner design, we have settled on a pretty ideal configuration for subsonic, economic cruising. That's why they all look similar.
There is still a decent variety when you look at smaller airliners and other civil aircraft.
There is still a decent variety when you look at smaller airliners and other civil aircraft.
Eric Mc said:
Certainly mainstream airliners carrying 100 passengers upward are generally looking the same. After 90 years of airliner design, we have settled on a pretty ideal configuration for subsonic, economic cruising. That's why they all look similar.
There is still a decent variety when you look at smaller airliners and other civil aircraft.
Exactly - its the same reasons a lot of F1 or Le Mans prototype cars look broadly similar - because with so much collective experience behind them, a broad consensus of 'best shape' has emerged, with details being the difference now. There is still a decent variety when you look at smaller airliners and other civil aircraft.
Though I agree with the spirit of J4CKO's post - I would sooner have a Dragon Rapide to whizz me up to Newcastle!
It's the same with most cars too. Take the badges off and you'd have no idea what make they were. 98% computer-designed lumps with 1% 'styling cue' done in Photoshop and 1% something copied from the rival one up the pecking order. Fill it full of children doing exciting things in slow motion and you have another winner.
Vocal Minority said:
Eric Mc said:
Certainly mainstream airliners carrying 100 passengers upward are generally looking the same. After 90 years of airliner design, we have settled on a pretty ideal configuration for subsonic, economic cruising. That's why they all look similar.
There is still a decent variety when you look at smaller airliners and other civil aircraft.
Exactly - its the same reasons a lot of F1 or Le Mans prototype cars look broadly similar - because with so much collective experience behind them, a broad consensus of 'best shape' has emerged, with details being the difference now. There is still a decent variety when you look at smaller airliners and other civil aircraft.
Though I agree with the spirit of J4CKO's post - I would sooner have a Dragon Rapide to whizz me up to Newcastle!
With the introduction of more and more composites, there will be scope to explore blended forms again (look at the concepts that Boeing and Airbus have pushed around over the last few years). With that, there may be other benefits such as lifting body's to be had for example. That's why Burt Rutan's Scaled Composites projects are more varied.
Racing cars are slightly different in that they aren't restrained by volume production. They can afford to push the form envelope closer to the limit, but I agree, collectively they all reach the state of the art in terms form.
Whe i started going to London Airport ( as it the was known) in July 1960 Yep THAT long ago, in the next two years or so a normal day would see
Britannia, Viscount,Electra Ambassador, Connies, The last of the Boeing Stratocruisers, DC-3/4/6/7/8
Bregeot Du Pont.(Ugly bugger) Convair 340/440, Argonauts, Comet,Caravelle, boeing 707/720/727 Trident, Vanguard,Argosy,DC-9 TU-104 with a very rare 114 once IIRC,TU-124 IL-18, CL-44,Hadley Page Herald, Convair 880/990
All the jets took off with so much clag you could still see them up to 10mins after take off
Great Days, Just wish i had my camera back then
Britannia, Viscount,Electra Ambassador, Connies, The last of the Boeing Stratocruisers, DC-3/4/6/7/8
Bregeot Du Pont.(Ugly bugger) Convair 340/440, Argonauts, Comet,Caravelle, boeing 707/720/727 Trident, Vanguard,Argosy,DC-9 TU-104 with a very rare 114 once IIRC,TU-124 IL-18, CL-44,Hadley Page Herald, Convair 880/990
All the jets took off with so much clag you could still see them up to 10mins after take off
Great Days, Just wish i had my camera back then
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