Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Is it a little bit of both? Those are probably some of the questions viewers have after looking at Airbus’ new ‘bird of prey’ concept airplane.
The new concept is a bird-like conceptual airliner design, which the company states, has the goal of motivating the next generation of aeronautical engineers. They want the enxt generation to realise how they can make a difference by “applying technologies researched at the company in hybrid-electric propulsion, active control systems and advanced composite structures.”
The plane is inspired by the basic mechanics of an eagle, and has wing and tail designs that resemble those of a bird of prey. The cool thing about this new design is that the plane has individually controlled feathers that provide active flight control.
“Our ‘Bird of Prey’ is designed to be an inspiration to young people and create a ‘wow’ factor that will help them consider an exciting career in the crucially-important aerospace sector,” explained Martin Aston, a senior manager at Airbus.
“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. Who can’t help but be inspired by such a creation?”
The concept was released to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Airbus.
