A modular aircraft "Clip-Air" capable of combining passengers, cargo, fuel and other fuselages according to needs

An airplane flying around the world with people and baggage on it is mostly made up of a large main wing, an aileron such as the tail wing, and multiple engines on one fuselage, but it evolves such common sense greatly Research on an aircraft that is likely to make it is proceeding. The project being advanced at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne "Clip-Air"It is said that by installing a modular capsule such as a guest room and a cargo room and an extended fuel tank on the fuselage of only the blades and the engine, it is possible to operate flexibly different from the conventional one.

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The concept illustration of Clip-Air drawn with CG is like this. You can see that three capsules are hanging down under the body like the whole wing aircraft, where the entire aircraft wings.


Looking from the bottom side like this. Capsules are hanging on large wings like a lumpy shark that sticks to the belly of a large fish. The main wing has something like a huge leg besides the engine, but this is a non-retractable landing gear (wheel).


Surely it will be a huge fuselage ...... I think that the width of the wing tip is about 60 meters at the same level as the Boeing 777 aircraft, which is a very common sense size. However, the total length is about 30 meters, which is less than half of that of 777 aircraft. This is the same level as the Boeing 737 and Airbus A 320 machines, which are small sized machines, and the concept of Clip-Air seems to be said to be "a hanging 737-type machine fuselage on the wings of 777 aircraft" Things.


Because the total length is short, the size feeling is about the same as the train running on the ground. for that reason……


Capsules can be loaded on trains and transported. By doing this, it is possible to operate by checking in at a place different from the airport, directly entering the airport and flying to the aircraft to fly, and if it is a cargo with cargo, remove it from the airframe It has the possibility of putting on a train as it is, realizing quick logistics. Actually, there seems to be other issues such as security problems and customs clearance, but it seems to be said that it is interesting to realize the operation method that was impossible so far.


Capsules can prepare various types according to the application. It seems that there is an idea to operate as a dedicated capsule equipped with a rescue facility, for example, to extend the cruising distance by using passenger 's guest room, cargo type to place cargo, fuel tank, for emergency use.


When wearing the capsule on the airframe, it looks like you can put the capsule side by side covering it like this. However, there are many other ways to do this.


Even more interesting is that Clip - Air is likely to be a scalable system. In this way, by preparing from 1 to 3 capsule types, it may be possible to operate according to the application and needs. In other words, by using the same capsule to change the number mounted, it becomes possible to change the transport capacity from a small machine to a large machine.


Although it is a merit in the economy which is worrisome, it seems that the point has not been touched concretely yet. Although,Condé Nast Taveler Articles, It is possible to biofuel and liquid hydrogen as fuel as well, "Good fuel efficiency is appealed as" one passenger can transport passengers equivalent to three Boeing 737 aircraft " .

In addition, this Clip-Air project is being studied from 2009, and it seems that the target has been targeted around 2020 to 2045 for practical application. As if the shipping industry was in the 1950'sPractical use of ocean containerLet's change the transportation afterwards, Clip-Air may possibly have the potential to transform empty transport.