The AW609
Production Company: Leonardo S.p.A (Formerly AgustaWestland)
Feature: Tiltrotor Technology
EST. Cost of Production: Unknown
The AW609 from Leonardo S.p.A was meant to combine the speed of a turboprop airplane with the take-off/landing capabilities of a helicopter to create a tiltrotor aircraft suitable for public use. The first prototype’s tests began in 2002, although it would be a long time before this aircraft was certified. Certification flights began 12 years later, in 2014, when the AW609 flew its first client on a demonstration flight. Leonardo’s tiltrotor aircraft, which is powered by gasoline rather than electricity, can reach speeds of 337 mph and altitudes of 30,000 feet. After more than two decades of waiting, the AW609 is likely to be introduced sometime in the next few years.
The AW609
Boeing’s Blended Wing Body Airlifter
Production Company: Boeing
Feature: Blended Wing
EST. Cost of Production: Unknown
For a long time, manufacturers have looked to nature for inspiration when developing a vehicle for the land, sea, or air. For years, planes have been fashioned to resemble birds of the sky; nevertheless, designers may have been gazing at the wrong terrain. Perhaps they should have looked to the seabird, the stingray. Boeing’s blended wing body (BWB) aircraft still looks like something out of a science fiction film at its concept phase. The obvious benefit of the aircraft’s design is better aerodynamics; nevertheless, its unusual form also provides the aircraft with additional lift that other designs lack – hence the moniker “Airlifter.”
Boeing’s Blended Wing Body Airlifter
