BARCELONA, Spain — A plane inspired by “Star Wars” and controlled by artificial intelligence could make the trip from London to New York in just three hours. That’s the concept behind the Sky OV, which would use Dyson-like bladeless fans to travel at speeds of up to Mach 1.5 — or 1,141 miles per hour!
Oscar Viñals, an industrial designer in Spain, believes his concept would be able to carry 200 passengers in luxury at supersonic speeds. The Sky OV has a blended wing body fuselage, with wings able to fold to take up less space on airport runways.
Powered by hydrogen fuel and electric power, the aircraft would be capable of covering long distances with very low hydrogen fuel consumption and zero emissions.
Viñals says the ailerons on the top of the airplane could be controlled by an AI system to help regulate the airflow over the craft on take-off and landing. The designer has also addressed issues with traditional aircraft props he describes as “inefficient, noisy, and dangerous.”
“An innovative new bladeless propulsion system offers an alternative for 21st century aviation. Dyson has been making bladeless fans for a few years now that accelerate a consistent stream of air without exposed blades,” Viñals says in a statement, according to SWNS.
“The Sky OV is a concept plane based on the future revolution/evolution of a new kind of airplane engine with bladeless turbojet engines, like the Dyson concept. A super quiet system at subsonic and supersonic speed or engines based on pulse detonation more efficient than current turbojet engines with skills similar to a ramjet engine.”
“The next generation of commercial airplanes could be radically ‘disruptive’ than current airplanes. Fuselages, engines, power sources, and other aviation systems, that today look like sci-fi would be real,” Viñals adds, saying his design looks like it comes “out of a Star Wars film.”
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SKY OV SPECIFICATIONS:
- Crew: 2 (cockpit)
- Capacity: Passengers: 200 typical
- Maximum payload: 154,323 lbs.
- Length: 149.2 ft.
- Wingspan: 219 ft.
- Height: 27.5 ft.
- Wing area: 1,106 m2
- Empty weight: 535,723 lbs.
- Max takeoff weight: 1,135,381 lbs.
- Cruise speed: 913 mph (Mach 1.2)
- Max speed: 1,141 mph (Mach 1.5)
- Range: 10,314 miles
- Service ceiling: 59,055 ft.
- Landing speed: 118.8 knots (136.7 mph)
- Takeoff: 7,546 ft.
South West News Service writer Dean Murray contributed to this report.
