Aircraft manufacturer SE Aeronautics is looking to break with tradition by redesigning its aircraft to create more efficient and greener passenger aircraft.
While engineers are experimenting with greener solutions in the design of smaller planes, including electric and even solar-powered aircraft, it is difficult to make big changes to the design of huge passenger aircraft, with the batteries needed to power them still too heavy to carry them far, for example. The Airbus A380s have a maximum flight range of around 15 000 kilometres, but replacing kerosene with much lower energy density lithium-ion batteries would mean that they would have to carry radically more weight (because of the batteries), which in turn would increase fuel consumption, creating a vicious circle, or reduce their range on a single charge to a fraction of the current one or two thousand kilometres.
This is why, for larger machines, manufacturers are trying to achieve greener, lower-emission operation by using green fuels or, as in the case of the Rolls-Royce Ultrafan engine, by making the propulsion system more efficient. Airbus is planning to launch three hydrogen-powered passenger aircraft, not too far from 2035, but only one of them will have the capacity of a typical passenger aircraft, i.e. 100-200 people.
However, SE Aeronautics believes that there is no need to wait for battery technology to develop, and that the emissions problem could be solved much sooner by a simple method of radically redesigning aircraft structures. This could be achieved by making the wings flatter, almost razor-thin, and by having more of them, with three pairs of wings to help with climbing. To achieve this new wing design, the fuel tank would have to be relocated on the aircraft, and SE Aeronautics would build hoses into the top of the fuselage. The fuselage would be made from a single continuous piece and would be of a so-called monocoque design, meaning that the separate fuselage and undercarriage would be combined in a single structural element, with the load being borne by the outer layer.
The motors, which can sometimes bite the birds and cause them to fail, would be placed on the tail section, one above the other, to avoid accidents, so that even if the plane loses one of its motors, it would remain more controllable, according to the company. The SE200 will be able to carry 264 passengers, will have a maximum cruising range of almost 17,000 kilometres and will be able to travel at speeds of up to 1,100 km/h. Thanks to a special design, multiple wings and lightweight composite materials, fuel consumption will be reduced by 70% and the plane could operate for up to 50 years, according to Tyler Mathews, the company’s CEO.
How this completely new form will work in practice is yet to be seen, as the SE200 is currently in the patent phase, with construction and production only starting afterwards, but the company is aiming to revolutionise the whole aerospace industry with a concept that, given the huge emissions, is becoming increasingly timely.
Recent article
Air taxi News & Articles
Development of Airbus’ air taxi could accelerate
News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel
NASA’s new engine in action
Drones News & Articles
India also sees potential in agricultural drones
Drones News & Articles
Airbus launches drone production
Flying Cars News & Articles
SkyDrive Japanese flying car to enter commercial service in 2026
Additional aircraft
ARC Aerosystems’ newest aircraft the Linx P9
Drones News & Articles
Expect lots of drones in the future
Propulsion-Fuel
NASA funds development of a new type of nuclear engine
Drones News & Articles
The world’s fastest flying four-rotor drone
Drones News & Articles
The drone market is a good long-term investment
Drones News & Articles
In Romania, a drone is already taking samples from hospitals to the robotic laboratory
News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel
ZeroAvia’s Dornier with hydrogen-electric propulsion system flies for the first time
EVTOL & VTOL
What growth can we expect in the Evtol market in the coming years ?
Drones News & Articles
Flying drone home delivery is also being tested in Budapest
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
How are air traffic control and air navigation services adapting to eVTOL ?
Flying Cars News & Articles
What safety measures would be introduced in flying cars to prevent accidents ?
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
Revolutionising crop production with aircraft
Drones News & Articles
Valkyrie drone placed in the US Air Force National Museum
Drones News & Articles
Black Swan unmanned aircraft can handle transport in Europe
Drones News & Articles
Drone-operated motorway planned in the UK
Air taxi News & Articles
What impact will the development and introduction of air taxis have on the workforce and the labour market ?
Drones News & Articles
Edible wing drone could save people in distress
Additional aircraft News & Articles
Could modernised versions of airships return ?
Additional aircraft News & Articles
Aviation on the verge of a revolution
Drones News & Articles
Chinese drone could stay in the air almost forever
Additional aircraft News & Articles
The world’s first flying motorcycle is about to fly
Drones News & Articles
Walmart’s drones now deliver in seven Member States
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
How are companies and governments working to develop and regulate electric Evtols and what challenges do they face in bringing these vehicles to market ?
News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel
What developments have been made in the field of electric motors ?
Air taxi News & Articles
Stellantis joins forces with air taxi developer Archer
Flying Cars News & Articles
The Alef A flying car is on sale – taxis could be on the way in three years
Flying Cars News & Articles
The Israeli flying car on AIR
News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel
The first supersonic aircraft engine to run on sustainable fuel
Drones News & Articles
Drones could help weather forecasting
EVTOL & VTOL
The Volocopter is also expected to be commercialised in 2024
News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel
Joint electrification between Renault and Airbus
Air taxi News & Articles
Air taxis are almost here in everyday transport
Flying Cars News & Articles
Xpeng wants to mass produce its flying car in 2024
Drones News & Articles
The European Commission has unveiled a plan to boost the growth of the drone industry within Europe
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
First drop test with an eVTOL lithium-ion battery
More articles you may be interested in...
Flying Cars News & Articles
What safety measures would be introduced in flying cars to prevent accidents ?
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
Revolutionising crop production with aircraft
Drones News & Articles
Valkyrie drone placed in the US Air Force National Museum
Drones News & Articles
Black Swan unmanned aircraft can handle transport in Europe
Flying Cars News & Articles
The Alef A flying car is on sale – taxis could be on the way in three years
The Alef A model is a flying car being sold by Alef Aeronautics for around.......... READ MORE
Flying Cars News & Articles
The Israeli flying car on AIR
An Israeli start-up is attempting to distinguish itself by creating an eVTOL intended for widespread.......... READ MORE
News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel
The first supersonic aircraft engine to run on sustainable fuel
Boom Supersonic's Overture aims to revolutionize supersonic passenger travel with its new engine. The Overture.......... READ MORE
Drones News & Articles
Drones could help weather forecasting
A drone with a wind sensor was used to collect weather data in the Sea.......... READ MORE
EVTOL & VTOL
The Volocopter is also expected to be commercialised in 2024
Volocopter's evtol made its first live flight near Paris in November, and it is hoped.......... READ MORE
News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel
Joint electrification between Renault and Airbus
Renault Group and Airbus have entered into a partnership to develop technology that will speed.......... READ MORE
Air taxi News & Articles
Air taxis are almost here in everyday transport
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has recently expanded the list of aircraft and helicopters.......... READ MORE
Flying Cars News & Articles
Xpeng wants to mass produce its flying car in 2024
The founder of the company, Csao Tölinek, expects that mass production of these vehicles could.......... READ MORE