A research project from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is developing “a conceptual design for an aircraft whose noise was almost imperceptible outside the perimeter of an airfield in an urban environment,” according to the Silent Aircraft Initiative description.
This won’t lead to any airplane powered by some wind turbine or solar energy. That’s for another team. But it would reduce big noise at taking-off and landing phases, which would save some gas:
“While originally conceived to make a huge reduction in airplane noise, the team’s ultimate design also has the potential to be more fuel-efficient. In a typical flight, the proposed plane, which is designed to carry 215 passengers, is predicted to achieve 124 passenger-miles per gallon, almost 25 percent more than current aircraft, according to Greitzer. (For a down-to-earth comparison, the Toyota Prius hybrid car carrying two passengers achieves 120 passenger-miles per gallon.)”
But stay cool and cross your fingers. The project isn’t done by tomorrow, but by, hmm 2030.
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