Looks like a spacecraft … this plane could change the world...

This aircraft will not materialize in the distant future, as Airbus hopes that we will fly to the sky in one of its revolutionary designs in just 15 years, to leave the days of pollution from aircraft engines behind.

The hybrid-wing aircraft is one of the three environmentally friendly hydrogen-powered models that Airbus recently unveiled as part of its ambitions to lead decarbonization of the aviation industry.

A few months ago, this bold plan likely seemed fanciful as demand for fossil-fuel air travel continues to rise.

However, it is possible that the impact of the emerging corona virus “Covid-19” unintentionally contributed to making room for a rethink about the technology that helps us in flight.

Airbus has launched the new “ZEROe” program, and the designs revealed by it are not prototypes, but rather a starting point for exploring the technologies needed to build the first climate-neutral commercial aircraft.

Why hydrogen?

Airbus plans to provide a zero-emissions airliner by 2035, which means that it needs to start planning technologically from 2025.

This is because there is no single technology that can meet the energy requirements of fueling a whole range of aircraft types.

“Our own experiences with batteries show that battery technology is not moving as fast as we want it to,” said Glenn Liulin, Vice President of Zero Emission at Airbus.

And here, hydrogen comes into play, as it contains several thousand times more energy per kilogram than batteries can contain today, according to Liulin.

“18 months ago, when people talked about hydrogen in the aviation industry, people thought you were a little crazy,” Cranfield University aviation director Ian Gray told CNN.

Hydrogen can be used to power airplanes in different ways. It can be burned directly through modified gas turbines, and it can also be converted into electrical energy using fuel cells.

Hydrogen can be used with carbon dioxide to produce industrial kerosene.

The Three Models

The three concepts of the “ZEROe” program include a turbofan aircraft, with a capacity of 120 to 200 passengers, and there is also an aircraft of 100 passengers powered by a turboprop.

However, an aircraft with a blended-wing body is the star of the conversation.

In this model, the wings merge with the fuselage to form a very streamlined shape.

How can these perceptions change the commercial aviation sector?

Airbus’ announcement embodies a strategic shift in commercial aviation in which hydrogen can become the norm when it comes to short and medium haul flights to 2030 and beyond.

However, Gray warns that there is no point in not looking at the system within which he operates, and explaining that the aviation sector “needs to address the issue of carbon zero by means of comprehensive systems, given airports, air traffic control, aircraft, and transportation to and from Airports. ”

That would bring about a “massive change” in the energy and aviation ecosystem, Liulin said, “We have already started working with airlines, energy companies, and airports, because this kind of change requires really collective action across the sector, and within the aviation sector for Make it happen. ”