Consider the standard gas-guzzling passenger jet. Now move the wings back into the tail, bend them into near right angles, and sharpen the plane’s nose into a tip.
Bizarre plane
What you’re left with looks more like a stealth bomber than a 747, if it looks like a plane at all, but that’s what one New York design studio is hoping will become the standard look for eco-friendly flying.
Sleek, futuristic and unquestionably unique, the Her0 Zero Emissions Passenger Plane is a concept aircraft dreamed up by American designer Joe Doucet, intended to cut carbon emissions without compromising on style.
The plane would be powered by three electric propellers and the wings have been pushed to the rear, to ensure the plane remains balanced in the air, as the engine’s battery would make up most of the weight.
Compared to current carriers, the craft would suffer slightly for speed, but could comfortably complete short and medium-haul flights.
The Her0 design may or may not see service in the skies, but Doucet has already been contacted by aviation professionals eager to discuss the project, and his main aim is to start a conversation.
“If you can make this something that is desirable, something that makes people question why it’s not there, you have a better chance of forcing the hand of industry to respond to consumer demand,” he told CNN.
It might be the best-looking answer to eco-unfriendly flying, but it’s not the only one. In 2019, a Canadian seaplane operator completed the world’s first fully electric commercial flight, touching down in Vancouver after around 15 minutes in the air.
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