american airlinesStolenis an aircraft with a futuristic shapeHorizonand promises to revolutionize the market.
As concerns about fuel consumption increase,Horizonis the currentBoeing 737orAirbus A320It appears as an alternative to.
Designed to transport approximately 200 passengersHorizonflies with half the emissions and 30% less fuel than competing aircraft.
“The narrowbody aircraft market that Horizon falls into is likely to become the largest market over the next 20 years.”StolenCEO and co-founder ofAleksey MatyushevMr.CNNspoke to.
“Given all the challenges facing the industry, for the first time in history,BoeingorAirbusI think there is an opportunity to build an aircraft equivalent to. ”
According to Matyushev, the integrated fuselage wing design dates back to the 1990s.McDonnell DouglasDeveloped in 1997 byBoeingMade by an important American aerospace manufacturer that merged with
However, despite researching this concept,Boeingnever commercialized this type of aircraft. “One of the challenges of an integrated fuselage wing project is stability and control.McDonnell DouglasandBoeingI think that’s the part where I really stumbled: How do we stabilize the aircraft? ” he explained.
One way to achieve stabilization is through the use of complex flight control systems. in this case,Boeing 737 MaxThe computer that caused the problem will be used, Matyushev said.
Another method is aerodynamic design,Stolenchose this path. This new design offers several important advantages, according to Matyushev.
“Drag is reduced by 30%, but at the same time we can reduce the weight of the aircraft to accommodate the same number of passengers or cargo, which is very unique.”
“Small aircraft use smaller engines and therefore consume less fuel. Combining the two reduces emissions per passenger by about 50%.”
Furthermore, the unique shape with a wide fuselage expands the possibilities of cabin layout. “It has about 30% more interior space than conventional aircraft,” Matyushev explained.
“So what many customers are thinking about is a better passenger experience. Can we reopen lounges? Can we adapt other spaces on board for long-haul flights?”
What is noteworthy is that despite this unique shape,HorizonteethBoeing 737orAirbus A320It is designed to fit wherever a passenger enters, and does not require changes to the airport’s infrastructure.
However, there is no innovation when it comes to engine technology, and there are no electric or hydrogen engine options. “We will not put a new engine on a new aircraft. It is very risky,” Matyushev said.
Now,StolenteethHorizonThe project is expected to take shape by 2030, but experts have pointed out that it may face some challenges in obtaining the necessary certifications from aviation authorities.
“The challenge with completely new projects is the high initial cost of development and certification.”Aviation News Limitedaviation analystGary Crichlowhe explained.
According to him, the traditional modelBoeing 737 Maxor777-X、Airbus A321neo XLR、Comac C919even “faces significant regulatory delays compared to manufacturers’ original schedules.”
“We would expect regulators to be even more cautious when the design is significantly different, such as an integrated fuselage wing,” Crichlow added.
Photo: Natilus. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by our editorial team.
