Taste of the future from Royal Aeronautical Society

A taste of what Emirates, Qatar and Etihad could be flying in a few decades time is being displayed at the Royal Aeronautical Society's stand show.  From next Tuesday onwards the stand will feature a unique 3D model of a blended wing body (BWB) Future Airliner that has been made using a revolutionary new manufacturing process.

The RS-001 has become a reality with the creation of a 3D physical model by EADS Innovation Works in Filton. The model was made using ‘Additive Layer Manufacturing’ (ALM), a futuristic method of creating solid objects which can also manufacture lighter, cheaper aircraft parts and while using less energy and reducing waste.

This BWB design, RS-001 (a blue-sky concept rather than a fully-engineered design) was originally commissioned by the Royal Aeronautical Society for a front cover design of Aerospace International , the flagship magazine of the RAeS. The airliner features a blended wing body and open-rotor engines to give maximum aerodynamic fuel efficiency and is designed to carry around 250-310 passengers . By placing the engines on top of the fuselage they are shielded from the ground which dramatically reduces the noise footprint on the ground.

EADS Innovation Works built this specially commissioned model to demonstrate the advantages of ALM, which as well as plastic parts can also create composite and metallic structures.