Leiden. 02 August 2019. In a move to inspire futuristic aeronautical engineers, Airbus has showcased a bird-shaped turbo-propeller conceptual airliner’ blueprint for regional air travel.
The demonstration of Bird of Prey also occurred to highlight the 50th anniversary of Airbus as a leader in aircraft manufacturing. The aircraft design is motivated by systematic flying mechanics of a bird, wings and tail section of the aircraft is very similar to a raptorial bird and individually control feathers to advance active flight control.
Hybrid-electric propulsion, active control systems, and advanced composite materials are some key areas where the forthcoming success of inspired next-generation engineers could make this Airbus’s blueprint a reality soon.
“One of the priorities for the entire industry is how to make aviation more sustainable – making flying cleaner, greener and quieter than ever before. We know from our work on the A350 XWB passenger jet that through biomimicry, nature has some of the best lessons we can learn about design. Bird of Prey is being designed and developed to motivate young aerospace engineers and establish an impressive inspiration which will help people to choose critically essential aerospace Science,’’ said Martin Aston, senior manager at Airbus.
Bird of Prey features a blended wing-to-fuselage joint that mirrors the elegant and aerodynamic arch of an eagle or falcon, showcasing the strength of biomimicry.
The release of Bird of Prey project occurred to showcase English aerospace industry supervision, the conceptual blueprint is sponsored by GREAT Britain Campaign, the royal aeronautical society, the Air League, the Institution of Engineering and Technology and Aerospace Technology Institute.
