There might soon be a new way to get around, and it’s something you would expect to see on the pages of a comic book from the 1960s — the flying saucer. Okay, it’s not really a flying saucer like the one that belonged to that little martian guy on the Flintstones. It just looks like one. It’s actually an eco-friendly plane of sorts, developed under the CleanEra Project at Delft University. It cuts down the environmental impact in a few ways, including:
- Using propellers rather than fuel-hungry jets, though this creates a concern because it makes for longer flight times. And, as you’ll know if you’ve ever flown in a prop plane, it is freakin’ loud.
- Using composite materials, which make the body of the plane weigh less and therefore use less fuel
- Using a ergonomic design, which also decreases the amount of fuel needed.
- Accommodating more passengers. One of these flying saucers could potentially hold up to 800 passengers.
It’s just in the planning stages right now, so we’ll have to sit tight and see if anything comes of it.
(Via Autoblog Green)