Airbus reveals 'invisible' concept plan

Airbus has revealed ideas for a concept plane with streamlined engines and the ability for its fuselage to
become invisible.

At the push of a button the captain would send an electrical pulse through a hi-tech ceramic skin making the
main body of the plane see-through, Der Spiegel reported.

The futuristic design would allow travellers to look down on cities and landscapes below, News.com.au
reported.

The concept is reminiscent of James Bond’s Aston Martin Vanquish (renamed ‘Vanish’) in the 2002 film, Die
Another Day. In the film, the car could project images of its surroundings to appear invisible.

Researchers at Airbus said the design would allow travellers to see through the body of the plane, directly
below onto cities and landscapes, or gaze up and around at the starry heavens. The sensation would be that
of floating unassisted through the sky, they said.

"Passengers in an airplane like this would experience flight in a completely new way," Airbus' head of
research and technology, Axel Krein, said.
The proposal is one of a number of plans being considered by engineers at the European aerospace giant.

Also in the works from Mr Krein’s team is an aircraft skin that can repair itself in the event of cracks or
breaches and streamline engines that are embedded in the plane's fuselage rather than attached to its
wings.

"We told our engineers to give their imaginations free rein. What emerged were completely realistic visions
of flight in the year 2050," Mr Krein said.

"Our people are grounded in reality, after all. And most of the necessary technology already exists."

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR HURRICANE SURVEILLANCE FROM THE

EYE
Abstract: Methods and apparatus to provide an
aerial vehicle having an eyewall sensor to enable the
aerial vehicle to stay within the eye of a hurricane
and transmit weather information to a remote
location. In one embodiment, the aerial vehicle is an
unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) launched into the
eye of the hurricane.
Israel Researchers Develop Vertical
Takeoff and Landing UAV
The latest invention from researchers at
Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) is a
next-generation UAV (unmanned aerial
vehicle). The vehicle's flight capabilities
represent a fusion of an airplane with
helicopter-like hovering.

Dubbed Panther, the aircraft features a

tilt-rotor propeller. It can perform a
vertical takeoff and landing using the
VTOL system.

"The Panther [can be] controlled by one operator, [although] the C&C station
[supports] two operators: [one] to [manage] the station and [the other to] oversee
tactical missions," mentioned IAI CEO Itzhak Nissan.

He also said that the Panther takes off and lands automatically - all that is needed is to
click the operator console. The automatic flight control system controls the transition
between the vertical takeoff stage to forward flight and vice versa.

It was said that the Panther weights about 65 kilograms and can stay a lot for 6 hours,
flying at an altitude of up to 10,000 feet, with an operation radius of over 60 kilometers.

It is worth mentioning that the UAV includes IAI's Mini-POP (Plug-in Optronic
Payload), a day/night stabilized camera with a laser range finder, pointer and laser
designator, informs TG Daily.

Nissan pointed out that because of its intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance
(ISR) capabilities, the aircraft can become a very important player on the tactical
battlefield. He also said that the team managed to carry out a number of tests of several
prototypes of the Panther platform. The UAV is expected to be fully functional by 2011.