Airplanes of the future push the design envelope

Visual overview of airplane designs of the future

Graceful Japan Airlines design

From flapping wings to eco-friendly flying saucers, bold new futuristic airplane designs are being developed for future use. Additionally, inspired by Richard Branson's viewing early space flights as a child, Virgin Galactic is starting regular passenger space flight service in 2013 out of its New Mexico spaceport. NASA's Solar Flapper proposes propelling itself by flapping its own wings, rather than relying on traditional turbine motors; whereas CleanEra, a group of researchers and engineers at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, puts the emphasis on ecology with its flying saucer shaped "Greenliner" design, which is projected to reduce emissions per passenger by 50% as well as reducing noise pollution.

NASA Solar Flapper