Safe, Simple, Scaleable, Sustainable Airliners

People have been forced to fly in aircraft that are fragile, that are vulnerable to internal and external forces that can put the aircraft at risk.  Many of these have made headlines only after an air disaster or near disaster.  Loss of power, engines or landing gear will demand a landing at speeds over 150 mph and likely not at an airport.  Engine bird strikes are an increasing hazard at many airports.  The fortunate outcome of the most famous bird strike shows the vulnerability of the current plane designs.

There is another airliner design that has been around for decades that could avoid many of the shortcomings of the current tube and wing as well as survive most of the unforeseen engine and system failures.  This design can take off, fully loaded, at around 110 mph, even slower with the proper technology.  It can also fly at higher speeds than today's airliners with little or no significant drag penalty while getting twice the fuel economy per pound or passenger. Today's planes take off at almost 200 mph and have to travel at lower top speeds to increase fuel savings by a few percent.

Today's airliners cannot reduce their speed under 150 to 175 mph in an emergency landing or they would fall from the sky.  Landings with this new design can be made at well under 100 mph, again with the right technology.  Reducing the landing speed in an emergency is critical in saving lives.  This design is also stronger than the tube we all fly in today.  With this and a much slower landing speed, it will no longer be considered a miracle to walk away from an airline crash. 

Engine bird strikes happen on a relatively regular basis.  Most cause little damage.  We just don't hear about them unless they cause a plane to return to the airport or one ends up in the Hudson River.  Because of the positioning of the engines, this alternate design could virtually end all engine bird strikes.  Engines would be imbedded into the aft section of the airfoil body or Lifting Body, of the aircraft.  This not only separates the hot engines from the fuel in the wings but uses the body of the plane to take the bird strike instead of an engine. 

The public has been complaining for years about cramped seating, the cost of flying and extra charges for baggage.  The airlines have been complaining for years that they can't make a profit due to fuel prices, maintenance, expensive control systems and costly safety requirements.  You'd think the aviation industry would jump at a design that would reduce production costs, noise, system weight and complexity and increase fuel economy, load capacity, passenger safety and comfort.  Passengers would welcome the reduction in ticket prices as well as the reduced costs of goods from the dramatic reduction in fuel costs.

Somehow this plane design has been lost to our collective consciousness.  Although it could have competed in unpressurized, cargo jet designs 60 years ago, the materials available in its time made it to expensive and heavy to hold an atmosphere and compete with other passenger jet designs.  This design has been waiting for the time when composites could make it, not only a competitive airliner but a truly superior airliner.

This barrier has now been broken down and composites are now strong enough to hold a breathable, livable atmosphere.  The costs have also been shown to be more than competitive with aluminum frame construction.  Composites are already cutting manufacturing costs in half.  This was accomplished over 2 years ago with the X-55A composite demonstration project.  It reduced the amount of structural parts from 3,000 to 300 and fasteners from 40,000 to 4,000.  The reduced labor and parts dramatically reduced production time and costs.  This was also done with 4 year old composite technology.  Composites have improved since and costs of this technology are dropping as well. 

In order to get this plane design back on the drawing boards and into the sky, write to the FAA, the NTSB and to all government agencies having to do with flight, transportation, environmental safety, etc.  Tell them that you want to fly in a safer, simpler, more sustainable plane, one that can take a bird strike and even an interior bomb or missile strike, and keep on flying.  It can be done.  It has been done.  It must be done for the future of airlines and airline passengers world wide.  We can make this happen only with your support.  I'm workin' on it.  You can too.

See this plane design and learn about its American born designer, Vincent Justus Burnelli, at this link...  http://www.burnelli.com/wp/blog 

Larry Pope
Austin, TX area