Airbus unveils new 'bird of prey' concept plane
"Bird of Prey" concept was unveiled by Liam Fox, UK Secretary of State for International Trade, at the Royal International Air Tattoo air show on Friday.
Fox tweeted his support for the project alongside a video of the "Bird of Prey," which has a set of feathers on the tail and each wing tip.
Delighted to support the launch of the fantastic new @Airbus Bird of Prey concept airliner at the Royal International @AirTattoo show today.
Theis a world-leader in engineering #innovation, with UK aerospace industry exports totalling £34.2bn in 2018.
#EngineeringisGREAT
145 people are talking about thiThe theoretical design is for a hybrid-electric, turbo-propeller aircraft, according to a statement on the Airbus website.
"Inspired by efficient mechanics of a bird, it has wing and tail structures that mimic those of a bird of prey, while featuring individually controlled feathers that provide active flight control," the statement reads.
The aircraft would be capable of carrying up to 80 passengers and would burn 30%-50% less fuel than comparable aircraft in operation today.
While the aircraft won't be built, the aim of the project is to motivate the next generation of aeronautical engineers, according to Martin Aston, a senior manager at Airbus.
"Our 'Bird of Prey' is designed to be an inspiration to young people and create a 'wow' factor that will help them consider an exciting career in the crucially-important aerospace sector," Aston said in the statement.
Aston hopes the project will help to make aviation more sustainable, with cleaner, greener and quieter planes by taking design cues from nature.
"We know from our work on the A350 XWB passenger jet that through biomimicry, nature has some of the best lessons we can learn about design. Who can't help but be inspired by such a creation?" he said.
By skunty empire
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