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London Luton Airport is becoming the latest industrial partner in the efforts to design a 'silent' aircraft - one which would be virtually inaudible outside the airport boundary in sensitive built-up areas.
London Luton Airport is becoming a partner in the Cambridge-MIT Institute 'Silent' Aircraft Initiative.
This long-term, transatlantic initiative brings together leading academics from Cambridge University in the UK and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) inthe United States with representatives from all parts of the civil aerospace/aviation industry. They are working together, sharing knowledge, testing the technologies and developing the design for a plane that is radically quieter than current passenger aircraft.
CMI's 'Silent' Aircraft Initiative has an ambitious aim: to discover ways dramatically to reduce aircraft noise, to the point where it would be virtually unnoticeable to people outside the airport perimeter in a typical built-up area. Not only will this directly advantage communities situated close to airports, it will also provide a major boost to the UK aerospace industry, and help UK airlines and airports to operate more productively.
London Luton Airport is the latest in an extended ‘Knowledge Integration Community’ of partners involved in this three-year project, including regulators, airport operators, airlines, aerospace manufactures and representatives of community groups opposed to aircraft noise. Fellow partners in the project include British Airways, Boeing, the Civil Aviation Authority, Cranfield University, Marshalls Aerospace, National Air Traffic Services, and Rolls-Royce.
London Luton Airport has made a long-term commitment to the initiative, and an Airport team led by Airfield Environment Manager Neil Thompson will be assisting the CMI team in a variety of practical ways, allowing data acquistion vital for the development of the next generations of low noise emission passenger aircraft.
To meet their targets the Cambridge-MIT Institute (CMI) 'Silent' Aircraft team are currently looking at a number of radical concepts for reducing aircraft noise - including embedding jet engines within the main fuselage, new undercarriage and airframe configurations, and a complete re-examination of the conventional wisdom on take-off and landing approaches.
Prof Ed Greitzer, who leads the research work being carried out at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, says:
"The overall shape of passenger aircraft has not altered a great deal over the last 50 years. Our approach is to design the aircraft with a major decrease in noise as a primary consideration from the onset; the configurations will thus differ substantially from current aircraft.”
Paul Collins, Project Manager of the CMI 'Silent' Aircraft Initiative, says:
"Our technology development is influenced by many external factors, which we have to understand if our design is to be successful. London Luton Airport has already provided valuable insight into the complexities of airport management and is a welcome partner on the Silent Aircraft Initiative."
Neil Thompson, Airport Environment Manager at London Luton Airport, says:
"We are delighted to be involved in a project of this global importance and prominence".
"At London Luton we are always anxious to be a good and responsible neighbour to the local community. We have seen a 400% increase in demand for flying in the last decade alone, and although this initiative's targets are long-term, we can see a time when major changes in aircraft configuration and operations would directly help us in meeting passenger demand whilst also meeting our commitment to reduce the environmental impact of that demand."
Prof Ann Dowling, who leads the project work at Cambridge University, says:
"We are very pleased that London Luton Airport has joined this bold initiative and look forward to working with them. There are real benefits to be had from optimising operations for low-noise and we value inputs into the project from an airport operator."
An experimental procedure that substantially reduces the noise of descending aircraft is now one step closer to availability for commercial air carriers, thanks to the continuing efforts of a research team led by Professor John-Paul Clarke of MIT's Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
In addition to improving the lives of people living and working along airport approach routes, the new procedure reduces aircraft engine emissions and fuel consumption. Professor Clarke is a key member of the CMI 'Silent' Aircraft Initiative, leading research into take-off and landing approaches, and how they can be modified to cut aircraft noise.
In November 2004, he visited the UK where he gave a presentation about his work to members of the Associate Parliamentary Engineering Group (APEG). Now he has unveiled the results of tests conducted at a regional US airport, which proved that so-called 'Continuous Descent Approaches' can be used successfully, and confirmed their environmental and economic benefits.
Full details on the MIT website.
Last updated:18/01/05