LOOKING more like a spaceship than an airliner – this massive plane could be the future of travel as it is powered to supersonic speeds with a miniature nuclear reactor at its core.
The concept aircraft is known as the HSP Magnavem – Latin for “Big Bird” – and it is hoped to hit 1,150mph, meaning a flight from London to New York could take just THREE HOURS.
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Boarding the plane ahead of your short hop across the Atlantic, you would find the massive arrowhead-like aircraft has two decks – with business and first class upstairs and “super tourist” class downstairs.
It is hoped up to 500 people could sit comfortably on the massive plane – which is heavier than today’s biggest passenger planes, the Boeing 747-8 and the Airbus A380.
And those upstairs could have “all imaginable luxuries” such as private suites and spas.
First class passengers would also have an out-of-this-world view with ceiling windows above their seats that could be either dimmed to a shade or brightened to allow a full view.
The 70-metre-long, 590,000kg plane would then power up its four massive engines which are located across the back of the fuselage from the mini fusion reactor buried beneath the passenger decks.
Electrical energy would then surge through the plane’s batteries and send the aircraft flying into the sky – hitting altitudes of 15,400m.
And then its ramjets would kick in – sending it flying at supersonic speeds.
The massive plane would also have pilots assisted by an artificial intelligence armed with laser guidance systems which would help the crew monitor the engines and steer the craft.
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With a flying-wing type design – the distinctive aircraft would also be dotted with solar panels, further adding the plane’s fuel saving as its battery charges as it flies.
Magnavem would be slightly slower than the legendary Concorde which could hit speeds of 1353mph as it ferried people in transatlantic luxury from Europe to America.
But it’s hoped the concept aircraft would solve the problems that ultimately ended the dreams of supersonic travel when the joint British and French jet was retired in 2003.
Concorde was killed by the noise, the expense and the small passenger capacity – with the ritzy plane being priced out as air travel became more and more affordable.
With much quieter engines, however, a larger passenger capacity and hopefully cheaper tickets – designer Oscar Vinals hopes the Magnavem could bring the world back to the golden age of supersonic travel.
All imaginable luxuries, like private suites, washrooms, a spa and virtual reality
Oscar Vinals
He explained he wants ambitious aircraft like his concept to herald a “new era” in the skies – with faster, cheaper and more environmentally friendly planes.
Oscar, from Spain, told The Sun Online: “It could have two decks with a capacity for 500 passengers, a ‘Super Tourist’ class with a modular system that could accommodate between 280 to 360 seats with a generous ‘personal space’ between them, a First class and Business class for 140 seats, with amazing views over their heads of the sky and all imaginable luxuries, like private suites, washrooms, a spa and virtual reality.”
He explained his future concept is based in reality – being a mix between modern planes and upcoming theoretical technologies.
And he hopes the design would contribute to an all-around more efficient aircraft that could in theory mean cheaper plane tickets.
“As a principal power source, the HSP ‘Magnavem’ will be equipped with a Compact Fusion Reactor (CFR-portable) and Hydrogen fuel.
“The plane could be equipped with four oversize hybrid engines powered by electric-hydrogen fuel and two Ramjet Engines.
However, so far no one has committed to building and testing one of Oscar’s monster machines.
“Due to the fact that almost all the technology of this concept is highly innovative, only institutions such as universities and specialists from the aeronautical sector have been interested,” he explained.
However, he hopes that as these technologies develop, his designs will be picked up and one day take to the skies.
A ‘NEW ERA’
Oscar first became interested in airliners as a hobby – with his main career working as a designer in high-performance cars and motorsport.
He said: “I became interested in aeronautics, after a bad experience during a flight that fortunately ended only in a big scare.
“My interest in knowing more about airplanes and all their aspects became a more serious ‘hobby’ and with the goal of trying to ‘improve’ future commercial airplanes, designing concepts based on my personal studies about them and how it would be possible to get a feasible design.
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“I don’t design concepts merely to be only beautiful or for a sci-fi experience, all projects are based on previous technician studies with a lot of accurate information, so the result is a realistic and feasible concept.”
It comes after we revealed the incredible concept design of the AeroCon Wingship, an extraordinary 3,000-passenger design for a massive ekranoplan flying boat.
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