This multimodal plane will forever change the way we travel

An idea of ​​revolutionary aircraft design will transform the way people and goods are transported by the Swiss Federal Polytechnic Institute: a combination of aircraft - train - bus .

After high-end designs such as, three-tier aircraft, electric-powered aircraft, we have another revolutionary aircraft. It is a product made to transform the way people and goods transport from the Swiss Federal Polytechnic Institute, the aircraft disassembles the shell (clip-air / pod plane).

Clip-air is an aircraft designed to be detachable with load carrying parts to help the aircraft to minimize changes and loading times when converting cargo configurations. Different guests or goods.

Clip-air is a type of aircraft designed for detachable load carrying parts.

Although clip-air may be a concept that breaks all old barriers, its original inspiration is very ordinary: a modest transport container.

Will these floating planes become a reality?

New and outstanding

Although the design is simple, shipping containers are also one of the most popular inventions of the 20th century. These containers allow us to move goods from one form of transport to another with cheap prices and facilitating the development of complex supply chains that all modern economies depend on.

Converting goods throughout or across modes from trucks to giant ships, trains and can be reused many times, shipping containers have significantly reduced long-distance transport costs.

That is the magic of trans-modal transport and also the goal that creators of clip-air, a potentially innovative idea to change the desired market.

Clip-air planes consist of two main parts: flight components (aircraft body, cockpit, engine), aircraft compartments (removable covers for passengers / cargo depending on the selected configuration ).

The body of clip-air is inspired by flying wing aircraft that makes us think of stealth bombers.

Clip-air's body takes the idea of ​​a flying wing (flying-wing, a fixed-wing two-wing aircraft that acts as a body and has no tail) that makes us think of stealth bombers. . The clip-air fuselage has a number of similarities to the X-48, a test-driven unmanned aircraft developed by NASA a decade ago.

Versatile design

The clip-air modules are designed to be carried by many types of vehicles and perform many different functions:

A pair of long metal legs protruded from each side of the wing and used the wheel mechanism to restrain the fuselage above the ground (below).

A pair of long metal legs protruded from each wing.

The height of the aircraft helps the compartments to hang from the belly of the aircraft (similar to the way fighter planes carry bombs and missiles). The compartments may contain passengers or goods.

The compartments may contain passengers or goods.

The above components can be adjusted to bring different types of goods and passengers.

Clip-air's speed and distance are expected to be comparable to modern medium-sized aircraft. The highlight of the idea of ​​clip-air is the versatility of the compartments. Specifically, the compartments can be easily removed from the fuselage, allowing the aircraft to rotate quickly on the ground, while allowing operators to maximize the use of the fuselage (the most expensive component). in the entire aircraft), according to Claudio Leonardi, managing clip-air project of the Swiss Federal Polytechnic Institute (EPFL) in Lausanne.

Clip-air's speed and distance are expected to be comparable to modern medium-sized aircraft.

Above is the whole idea of ​​clip-air design that EPFL has developed since 2009.

Transparent transfer or multimodal transport

With the above advantages, clip-air aircraft will outperform the existing ones in a place that helps passengers reduce stress and bid farewell to long lines waiting at the airport. Like transport containers, the idea of ​​multiple modules helps clip-air compartments to be moved directly to trucks and trains, opening up many opportunities for transport operators and the aviation industry.

New opportunities could be the separation of fuselage managers and passenger cabins. Similar to what happened in the transport and train industries thanks to the introduction of transport containers, clip-air aircraft will contribute more specialization than airline companies to focus on. flight techniques and others meet the customer experience.

Meanwhile, passengers can even choose a cabin from 3 different opponents that all fly on an airplane. Not only that, we also marketed routes that many modules start and end outside the airport (train stations, buses .).

Smart industry

With the idea of ​​clip-air, passengers can board the cabin at a bus stop and wake up in another city on the other side of the country (or the other half of the earth), traveling through a car-matching journey fire, airplane, road without leaving the seat.

Are there any opportunities for this scenario to take place?

The founder of an aviation consulting firm said that "it is difficult to make this commercially practical" because it must compete with well-known technologies with a track record of achievement. There are still doubts about whether the market is ready for a completely new concept, especially in the long term.

Clip-air aircraft researchers are also very aware of the challenges ahead and the need for more years of research and experimentation to streamline this idea.

Even so, Leonardi's management remains steadfast with the ultimate goal of building an aircraft capable of simultaneously flying three containers, each with 150 passengers."We only use available technologies and materials that are well known in the industry."

Researchers are also looking for the possibility of using biofuels, liquid hydrogen or alternative fuels and have initiated a number of relationships in the aerospace industry. Getting support from one of the major players in the industry will help change the landscape, and the team is still hoping to find people with the same passion.

Currently, Leonardi's team is preparing for a smaller clip-air model: a 10-meter self-propelled aircraft. This tiny model will satisfy the imagination of audiences and people who share the same vision with Leonardi, while waiting for a long-term perspective on a multimodal aviation industry.