The WB-1010
Yanko Designs
(“WB” stands for Wright Brothers) was designed for style, speed, comfort, and large passenger capacity. Some of the (speculative) features of this futuristic hybrid aircraft concept included:
• Passenger capacity: more than 1,500
• Maximum speed: nearly 1,000 kph (620 mph)
• The hull is made of a material called GLARE (GLAss-Reinforced) Fibre Metal Laminate (FML), which consists of several very thin layers of metal (likely, aluminum) interspersed with layers of glass-fibre “pre-preg”, bonded together with a matrix material such as epoxy.
• The windows are made of “smart glass.”
• Helium is “injected in the body to make the plane lighter.” Perhaps this means that there are large helium lifting gas cells inside the hull and, as in a Dynalifter, the aerostatic lift from this helium provides a fraction of the total lift required for flight; perhaps as much as 50%. • Conventional aviation fuel is the main energy source.
• The aircraft also is able to “harvest wind energy” in flight. Perhaps this is a simple ram air turbine, which often is used as an emergency power source on military aircraft, or it may be an aeronautical perpetual motion machine. • A “superjet” of unspecified design enables this hybrid aircraft to land vertically, without the need for a runway. A large landing foot is extended under the aircraft, reducing the need for airport infrastructure. • This hybrid aircraft also can land like a conventional aircraft.
Current practicality aside, Reindy Allendra’s Spruce Whale is a beautiful design concept. Perhaps 85 years in the future, a design like this may be possible.
