Where will Flight/Planes develop to...?
Discussion
Just bored in work and wondering that since the Boeing 747 first flew in around 1969 planes haven't really got any faster or bigger (Concorde excluded). That's in the best part of 5 decades.
So for the experts on here how do you see flight and planes developing in the next 50 years? Are they going to get faster and bigger or is this restricted due to sonic boom/Noise pollution, cost, efficiency etc?
So for the experts on here how do you see flight and planes developing in the next 50 years? Are they going to get faster and bigger or is this restricted due to sonic boom/Noise pollution, cost, efficiency etc?
I'd like to see some kind of HOTOL airliner so you can get to the other side of the world in 4 hours not 24. That would command a premium. Other than that it's all down to price.
As for 'electric' being the new wonder fuel, remember all that electricity has to be generated somewhere/somehow - not to mention stored.
As for pilotless aircraft, no thanks. I want a human there to hit 'disengage' and take over when the computer f
ks up - and I reckon everyone else would want the same.
As for 'electric' being the new wonder fuel, remember all that electricity has to be generated somewhere/somehow - not to mention stored.
As for pilotless aircraft, no thanks. I want a human there to hit 'disengage' and take over when the computer f
ks up - and I reckon everyone else would want the same.Yipper said:
Planes will go pilotless in the 2030s.
I'm not so sure about that. Even though it will technically be possible, I suspect an ongoing arms race between hackers and cybersecurity boffins will create too much residual risk to be acceptable to the public. It'll be fascinating to see how it plays out though.I think the main drive in the near future will be for more efficiency and less carbon emissions. Biofuel will be the next big thing.
uncinqsix said:
Yipper said:
Planes will go pilotless in the 2030s.
I'm not so sure about that. Even though it will technically be possible, I suspect an ongoing arms race between hackers and cybersecurity boffins will create too much residual risk to be acceptable to the public. It'll be fascinating to see how it plays out though.I think the main drive in the near future will be for more efficiency and less carbon emissions. Biofuel will be the next big thing.
However how many planes from before then will still be in the air?
uncinqsix said:
Biofuel will be the next big thing.
I'm not sure about that. Other than methane from waste, biofuel causes some issues as it's more profitable than growing food crops. I think it'll need some global food production changes to make it truly worthwhile.Electric or Hydrogen could be a way forward as there's less distribution issues than for personal transport, but electric will need lighter batteries.
If/when automation really gets going then small "flying car" transport starts to become more viable as small craft could follow defined lanes, but that's a lot way off IMO.
RizzoTheRat said:
I'm not sure about that. Other than methane from waste, biofuel causes some issues as it's more profitable than growing food crops. I think it'll need some global food production changes to make it truly worthwhile.
I saw an interesting presentation from a bloke from Boeing at a conference a few years back, and he was talking about an algae based biofuel that could basically be produced anywhere in polluted waste water. He seemed very upbeat about the whole idea, but I don't know how much it has progressed since then. Would be incredible if it could be made to work commercially.
RizzoTheRat said:
If my recent British Airways experiences are anything to go by, the future of air travel will be to cram more and more seats in an effort to discover the maximum level of discomfort people will accept and still fly on the bloody things.
Yes, because most people only want the cheapest price to get to Malaga etc so they can spend more on drink.Would I spend an extra £1,000 to fly to NZ in a slightly bigger chair? Nope, although I can afford it, I'll take the temporary discomfort, which will be forgotten on landing, and pocket the grand!
Yipper said:
Planes will go pilotless in the 2030s
Pretty unlikely as no pilotless passenger aircraft are in development by any of the manufacturers and the lead in and development times are very long for any new types. And there’s no call for them from the airlines or the passengers.
Generally smaller. There are already the first A380s being parted out.
I do think there will be long distance supersonic option with very high prices. Airlines make almost all of their money from the front of the cabin unless they go the other way and run barebones super cheap flying buses.
As for tech I would imagine it will continue to automate. There is an old joke about the flight crew being a pilot and a dog. The dog is there to bite the pilot if he touches the controls.
A huge amount of calculation goes on before takeoff. Planes weigh themselves and the crew also know temp , humidity , altitude and so on. The plane is preprogrammed to determine the appropriate thrust for takeoff , liftoff etc. I expect that shortly this will be just a direct feed to the flight computer and the thing does everything itself.
Autopilots have limitations which is why landing in winds over a certain threshold is always manual. We are not quite a Googleplanes
I do think there will be long distance supersonic option with very high prices. Airlines make almost all of their money from the front of the cabin unless they go the other way and run barebones super cheap flying buses.
As for tech I would imagine it will continue to automate. There is an old joke about the flight crew being a pilot and a dog. The dog is there to bite the pilot if he touches the controls.
A huge amount of calculation goes on before takeoff. Planes weigh themselves and the crew also know temp , humidity , altitude and so on. The plane is preprogrammed to determine the appropriate thrust for takeoff , liftoff etc. I expect that shortly this will be just a direct feed to the flight computer and the thing does everything itself.
Autopilots have limitations which is why landing in winds over a certain threshold is always manual. We are not quite a Googleplanes
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