(NaturalNews) A new type of quieter passenger jet has been designed using technology from the stealth bomber. The new jet -- which was designed by a team of 40 researchers from Cambridge and MIT -- was unveiled to a London audience Monday.
The new jet design would bring a welcome change to the world of aviation according to industry experts. "Noise really is one of the major barriers to airport expansion and the expansion of flights … it gets a lot of complaints," said Edward Greitzer -- an MIT professor who helped run the project.
Although noise reduction in existing plane designs has taken a larger focus in recent years from manufacturers like Boeing and Airbus, planes are still loud from miles away. "People are still willing to pay more for the convenience of a closer-in airport," stated Richard Aboulafia -- vice president of an aerospace consulting firm -- who then added that "There is an economic value to being able to keep your air transport close in town, which means you've got to be quiet."
The Cambridge-MIT team's goal was to design a plane from the ground up with the main focus on noise reduction. The design the team cam up with looks more like a "flying wing" than a standard "tube and wing" design that resembles most modern-day jets. The proposed plane design has a 222-foot wingspan -- making it the size of a Boeing 767.
The "silent jet" is about as loud as a standard washing machine, but would carry 215 passengers and could actually be flying in the skies by the year 2030.
###
Have comments on this article? Post them here:
people have commented on this article.
Email this article to a friend
Now Available from 
