First flight of the Boeing 787

[Canadave]

Meh, I'd like to see a passenger aircraft implemented using the blended wing body configuration.

http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/b/b797.htm

Scroll down for an artist's impression.

Obviously you have very little understanding of construction, material strengths, and cost.

Well why don't we go back to living in caves while we're at it.

ETA: I'm commenting on the aesthetics -- the 787 is the same boring old tube with a couple of slightly curvier wings stuck on -- whoopy doo. The blended wing concept is a lot more pleasing to the eye IMO, but, yes, it may well be out of reach technically without spending unreasonable amounts of money. I'll leave the engineering aspects to those more qualified to comment on this demonstrably professional forum on a Star Trek BBS.

Speak for yourself, I much prefer the aesthetics of the 787, it's a lot more elegant. The concept posted just looks bloated, IMO.

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

Speak for yourself, I much prefer the aesthetics of the 787, it's a lot more elegant. The concept posted just looks bloated, IMO.

Ok, your view may vary, fair enough.

 

[USS KG5]

It is worth remembering the current design of airliners is borderline perfect for operations, that is why they keep building them to roughly the same shape.

The key thing is turnaround and maintenance, these things spend a truly amazing amount of their lives in the air, and have incredibly short turnarounds at airports. The current "tube with wings and engine pods" design is unlikely to be bettered, well, ever.

 

[Alpha_Geek]

The current "tube with wings and engine pods" design is unlikely to be bettered, well, ever.

Well they could sacrifice comfort by going with a "sheath of lawn chairs strapped around the outside of a single engine with legs sticking out by the nozzle" design. This VTOL concept would also need less runway, making commuter flights everywhere possible.

Got Goggles?

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

As I recall, to raise the level of insanity, it was a pontoon plane, and the two smaller fuselages (which doubled as the pontoons) were repurposed 747s.

It wasn't a pontoon plane. It was a 'normal' aircraft which just happened to have three fuselages (all the same size). And I highly doubt it could actually have been built...the weight alone would be enormous.

 

[Canadave]

Most window seats on smaller craft (which most of the domestic travel is on) have a view of the wing.

Yeah I know most airline passengers get a nice view of aluminum.

Incidentally, this is why I love getting to fly on Dash 8s. The high wing means that you have a view of the ground\clouds no matter where you're sitting.

 

[USS KG5]

The current "tube with wings and engine pods" design is unlikely to be bettered, well, ever.

Well they could sacrifice comfort by going with a "sheath of lawn chairs strapped around the outside of a single engine with legs sticking out by the nozzle" design. This VTOL concept would also need less runway, making commuter flights everywhere possible.

The legs would create rather a lot of drag. Also not very fast or efficient, and fly above 10,000 feet and everyone would die.

That said Microlights are pretty similar in concept and they are a lot of fun.

 

[Lindley]

Everyone would get very cold above 10000. You wouldn't start encountering hypoxia until you passed 15000, for the most part.

 

[USS KG5]

Everyone would get very cold above 10000. You wouldn't start encountering hypoxia until you passed 15000, for the most part.

Thanks for the clarification, I know in WW2 they were always told 10k feet for Oxygen, hence the figure.

My Grandfather worked in aircraft design and he always thought a biplane wing would be best (he actually designed one that looked like a White Star from B5, and he hated sci-fi) but I was never convinced. The expense and difficulty of constructing an extra wing, as well as the extra weight and drag, would not be compensated by the extra lift. It also makes mounting the engines far more difficult.

 

[Lindley]

FAA regulations require supplemental oxygen to be used by pilots for (a) all portions of a flight exceeding 12,500 MSL for over 30 minutes, or (b) all portions of a flight exceeding 14,000 MSL at all. Supplemental oxygen must be available to all passengers for all portions of a flight exceeding 15,000 MSL.

The exact altitude at which hypoxia becomes a problem varies with the weather and the individual, of course. I could see 10,000 being named as a good safety margin.

 

[Alpha_Geek]

The legs would create rather a lot of drag. Also not very fast or efficient, and fly above 10,000 feet and everyone would die.

Awww, come on man, don't be pokin' holes in my bootiful concept! LOL It'd be all awesome with the brightly colored nylon webbing of the lawn chairs festooned around the outer perimeter of the engine. I can see the multi level jetway, one tier for each row of chairs, and I can clearly visualize the lazy susan craft rotator/launch rack as plain as day!

First class passengers would be in the back row (less chance of bird or insect facial strikes on the trip to altitude) and would get issued custom goggles and a parka with the airline logo on them!

Do they make ear plugs good enough for this?

 

[USS KG5]

Do they make ear plugs good enough for this?

Well given the general Heath Robinson style of your machine surely the passengers could just put their IPods in?

 

[Alpha_Geek]

Do they make ear plugs good enough for this?

Well given the general Heath Robinson style of your machine surely the passengers could just put their IPods in?

LOL Perhaps.