With many countries around the world starting to adopt sustainability in their daily lives, it won’t be surprising if we start seeing more and more green initiatives start popping up. One such green initiative that could very well transform the transportation industry is the AWWA Progress Eagle, a futuristic solar powered mega jet for long journeys.
Bigger than an Airbus A380
Designed by Oscar Vinals, the AWWA Progress Eagle is a three deck mega jet that would run on a combination of solar power and hydrogen fuel. The jet would feature a total of six hydrogen fuel engines of which five would be superconductive engines and the remaining one would be a central screw type engine fitted at the back of the jet for additional thrust. Considered much larger than the world’s current largest airliner, the Airbus A380 which can carry a total of 525 passengers, the Progess Eagle can carry over 800 people at a time.
Impressive Wingspan
The mega jet features an impressive wingspan that measures 314 feet (longer than that of an Airbus A380 which has a wingspan of only 262 feet)and is fitted with hexagonal solar panels. The aircraft has been made out of lightweight materials like aluminum, carbon fiber, titanium and ceramics. This allows the Progress Eagle to weight much less than the Airbus A380, which weighs a staggering 300 tons. It would also increase the overall efficiency of the aircraft.
Another highlight of the wings on the Progress Eagle is that they come with an additional wing-folding option, which allows the wings to fold up temporarily. Thus, there is no need to worry about the Progress Eagle fitting into small runways as the wings can easily fold up when the jet is on the tarmac.
The Three Decks
The Progress Eagle’s seating arrangements spread over three decks. The first and topmost deck is fitted with luxury amenities and offers magnificent views of the skies while flying, the second deck is reserved for business class passengers. The third deck is reserved for economy and tourist class passengers. The second deck also houses the jet’s cockpit and a special room for the crew, which features a coffee station, work area and beds.
The Engines
The six engines of the Progress Eagle allow the jet toe enjoy the same power and efficiency as a fossil fuel powered turbofan engine, albeit with a much lower carbon footprint. A CO2 cleanser system fitted at the rear of the jet to reduce emissions. The electric superconductive engines are powered by both hydrogen fuel and solar power.
The rear engine of the jet also doubles as a wind turbine at cruising altitude. Accordingly, as soon as the jet reaches cruising altitude, the rear engine will shut down and transform into a wind turbine. It would then generate energy which when coupled with the energy produced by the solar panels on the wings, would efficiently power the Progress Eagle with zero emissions.
Surplus energy produced by the solar panels and the wind turbine would be stored on onboard batteries and then transferred onto specialized electrical storage trucks upon landing.Thus, the jet would effectively do the double duty of enjoying a zero emission ride in the skies, and offloading excess energy which can be used to power other sources.
A number of futuristic concept designs have made it to the headlines in the past. However, so far, the Progress Eagle remains as the only design that looks innovative as well as conceivable with minimum effort. We surely hope to see these jets take over the skies in the days to come.
The AWWA Progress Eagle is a futuristic aircraft powered by solar as well as hydrogen fuel. The mega jet can carry over 800 passengers at one time and is all set to revolutionize the airline industry with its zero emission rides.
