aircraft

Boeing's 747-8 VIP: Beyond first class

Let's face it: Most of us, when we travel, will forever be condemned to ouch--er, coach--class. But we can dream, right?

Boeing has been teasing us for some months now with its promise of comfier airlifts in the 747-8 Intercontinental, an update of the now classic jumbo jet that's slated to enter commercial service in 2010. The interior is supposed to feel less like that of a plane and more like a room in your well-heeled neighbor's house. Some of the amenities include small bar tables and plusher seats. (Take a gander at scenes from the January … Read more

The SmartFish is sexier than your average flying car

I won't even bother making the requisite jokes about how it's well past 2000 and we should all be behind the wheels of flying cars by now--that humor is so 2006. But I'm really digging the design of the SmartFish, a Swiss prototype for a hydrogen fuel-cell mini-aircraft that will optimally be more efficient than a car and will be able to travel at 560 miles per hour. Ooh, speedy. It'll be about 20 feet long and will hold two people, though the designers hope to work on a 20-seater version yet. (Perfect for your kid'… Read more

No need to lock this cockpit

Three aircraft in the Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) pipeline promise to change some assumptions we have about air travel--the assumption that there's a pilot in the cockpit, for instance.

In the works is an unmanned cargo plane with a 30-ton payload capacity. IAI could have gone for an unmanned passenger jet--the technology does exists--but "the world is not yet ready to be flown without a pilot at the stick," Shlomo Tsach, IAI director of flight sciences, told the Jerusalem Post. "A psychological obstacle needs to be overcome before people are willing to fly in unmanned planes.&… Read more

Finally: An affordable personal blimp

It could be the 21st-century version of the Sunday drive: Blow up the hot-air blimp, take it for a spin, then fold it up and put it away.

Of course, that's assuming you've got $200,000 liquefying your Tiffany money clip.

The Personal Blimp from Skyacht Aircraft made its maiden voyage in late October, and although the company calls it a blimp, it's essentially a steerable hot-air balloon. It utilizes hot air in place of helium and is propelled by electric motors.

Though the cost may seem high for a leisure activity, consider that the average helium … Read more

HondaJet takes off for just $3.65 million

If you had $3.65 million to drop on a private jet, would you be concerned about fuel economy? Honda apparently thinks so and stresses its efficiency on this score in the brochures for its new jet aircraft.

"Key specifications and performance figures establish HondaJet as the fastest and most fuel efficient aircraft in its class, while setting a new standard for interior space and comfort," Honda Aircraft says in announcing the plane. The frugal reference does make some sense, given that Honda claims to have produced the first gas-electric hybrid car in the United States.

Of course, … Read more