In Focus

05 December 2008 04:10 BST

Silent, green, flying machine

Residents of towns and cities on Britain's many flightpaths have reason to be cheerful today after a so-called 'silent aircraft' was unveiled.

Scientists from Cambridge University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have been working on the project to design a more environmentally friendly and quieter plane since 2003.

And at the SAX-40 (Silent Aircraft eXperimental) launch today, scientists said that the new aircraft, which they hope will be ready for use by 2030, will reduce fuel consumption by 25 per cent, as well as leading to quieter skies.

The new aircraft is made up of a single wing, which the researchers believe will reduce noise caused by the flaps on landing, and a simplified undercarriage. The engines are also mounted on top of the plane so that much of the noise is screened from the ground.

Professor Ann Dowling, who led the UK research team, said: "This project has brought industry, academia and other stakeholders together around a grand challenge that has captured the enthusiasm and imagination of all partners.

"There has been effective collaboration, knowledge exchange, and development of a real team approach."

The project has involved many of the leading figures in the aviation industry, including aircraft manufacturer Boeing, which today lauded the "very challenging" research".

"This collaboration has stretched our imagination and generated some noise mitigation ideas that we will be able to study for potential future use," Jim Morris, vice president of engineering and manufacturing at Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said.

But the news has been met with scepticism by environmental campaigners with Plane Stupid's Joss Garman claiming that such announcements are made periodically to encourage the false belief that the airlines are combating climate change, when in reality they are continuing as before.

Plane Stupid is an airline pollution campaign group formed by Mr Garman last year with the aim of bringing about a radical reduction in the use of aircraft worldwide. The group today occupied low-cost airline easyJet's London headquarters in protest against short-haul flights and their impact on the environment.

"These sorts of fake solutions that are forwarded by the industry should be seen for what they are," Mr Garman said.

"The fact is that aviation is the fastest growing source of green house gas emissions and by 2050 even if we de-carbonise the rest of the economy we will still miss our green-house gas targets simply because of the growth in flying. And the sad fact is no techno-fix solution is going to change that."