14 DAY TRIAL // Electric machines are known for their lack of appeal when it comes to styling, but one designer has managed to show us different when he came up with the Lockheed Stratoliner project.
The purpose of any concept design is to inspire, despite the fact that it could never hit the market in the initial form - or any form, for that matter.
Designers of such concepts, also referred to as visual futurists, have always tried to break the boundaries of imagination and come up with ideas that make us think they’ve just come to life directly from a sci-fi movie.
Take for example this mean looking aircraft that had recently been brought to our attention recently, is not an ordinary jet.
While we are still not sure where to place the following contraption, one thing is for sure: it is aimed at giving the world a brand new perception of how a zero-emission flight could look like.
The concept, created by designer William Brown, draws inspiration from the Bar-tailed Godwit, an Australian bird that holds the record for the longest non-stop flight (7,258 miles from Alaska to Australia without feeding).
Just like that bird, the Lockheed Stratoliner is reportedly able to travel anywhere in the world without refueling.
Using oversized wings, curled at end, to create extra lift for extended high-altitude flights, the jet is powered by Cryogenic Hydrogen Turbofan engines that can operate in a low power mode like fighter jet engines to save a significant amount of fuel.
“All the time the engines are idle is time the aircraft is saving fuel, if the aircraft can glide into land over the last 20% of its journey is will be able to reduce its fuel consumption between 10-20%. Over thousands of air miles this will add up to huge savings,” Brown explains on his website.
While the Stratoliner’’s odd front end and split-tail design make it truly unique, the aircraft’s aerodynamics is still under the question mark.