1. Aerospace &Defense
Nitin M.Kadam© Email:ntinmkadam@rediffmail.com
Smart Birds –The Flight! ©
Since the world’s first ever successful designed controlled power airplane invention by
Orville & Wilbur Wright who flew their flyer plane in December 1903 and post the
aftermath of World War II, there has been much sought emphasis on improvement of
aircraft efficiencies by developing robust designs that would save time, cost, dependencies
on weather and manual intervention. There has been an imperative need for incremental
developments in the air-bodies and their phenomenally powered engines that improve
Maximum Endurance, Maximum Range, Optimum Cruising Speed (Carson’s Speed) based
on the primary principles of Lift, Weight, Thrust and Drag. There would be phenomenal
inventions that would change the face of air-travel.
 Tweaked Components drive Aircraft Efficiency
Innovations in aircraft designs are very few; many of these improvements are under the
skin of the trending aircraft, such as new avionics, improved systems and the bird’s engines
that make flying possible.
While there have been major breakthroughs in electric motor design, it’s unlikely that
electric-powered aircraft will be carrying significant loads–more than a handful of
passengers–anytime soon. Battery technology is fast emerging but will never match the
energy density of fossil (carbon) based fuels.
There is an expected rise in widespread adoption of lithium-ion for main-ship battery
applications. They are far more reliable, last longer, deliver more power for low-
temperature starts and operate much longer in a battery-only electrical emergency.
Turbine engine designers have steadily improved efficiency. Unfortunately, turbine engine
performance comes at a high cost and although there are some promising small engines in
the works, there is little opportunity to dramatically lower the cost of turbine engines and
make resurrection of general aviation powered by turbines replacing pistons.

2. Aerospace &Defense
Nitin M.Kadam© Email:ntinmkadam@rediffmail.com
Ceramic matrix composites are headed towards production engine programs. Engine
manufacturers are investing millions of dollars into 3-D printing of complex components,
which should ultimately lower costs and accelerate prototype development. With the
advent of 4D printing and programmable materials the cost of Maintenance, Repair and
Overhaul (MRO) services is set to slide drastically with its ready acceptance in Aviation
industry though not used on a large scale as its predecessor is still forming grounds.
 Assisted Take-off: Aircraft launched through assisted takeoffs using renewably-
powered, propelled acceleration will allow for steeper climb from airports to
minimize noise and reach efficient cruise
altitudes more quickly. Aircraft could be
maneuvered onto a track system and accelerated
using either electro-magnetic motors built into
the track or an inductive circuit within the
aircraft itself. Thus, removing or disabling the
need for landing gear.

3. Aerospace &Defense
Nitin M.Kadam© Email:ntinmkadam@rediffmail.com
 Passenger Safety:
Invented by Tatrenko Vladimir Nikolaevich, a Russian inventor has designed an
audacious new safety mechanism for airplanes; a detachable passenger and cargo cabin
that springs away from the aircraft in case of
emergency. Once unhooked, the cabin
deploys parachutes that safely touch down
the cabin on land or water. There will also
be a provision for pilots in the cockpit who
can eject themselves after the passenger or
storage capsule has been detached.
 FLY-BY-WIRE TECHNOLOGY
Fly-by-wire (FBW) is a system that replaces the conventional manual flight controls of an
aircraft with an electronic interface. Instead of the mechanical systems that used to
transmit control impulses around a plane, fly-by-wire (FBW) systems convert movements
of the controls into electrical impulses. These signals are sent to flight-control computers
that reconvert the electrical impulses into instructions for control surfaces like wing flaps
or the tail. Potentiometers in the control surfaces measure their position and transmit that
data back to the flight computer. An FBW system also makes the aircraft stable and
substantially safer to fly, as the flight computers can be programmed to carry out
adjustments to control surfaces automatically. This is largely as a result of gyroscopes
fitted in the aircraft which are connected to the on-board computers. The gyroscopes
measure fluctuations in pitch roll and yaw. If the bird strays from its pre-programmed
settings, they move too, triggering the computer to compensate. (Embraer’s Legacy
450/500, Gulfstream’s G500/G600 and Bombardier’s Global 7000/8000).

4. Aerospace &Defense
Nitin M.Kadam© Email:ntinmkadam@rediffmail.com
 Bionic Structures: Future aircraft could be built using a bionic structure that
mimics the bone structure of birds. Bone is both
light and strong because its porous interior carries
tension only where necessary, leaving space
elsewhere. By using bionic structures, the fuselage
has the strength it needs but can also make the
most of extra space where required. This not only
reduces the aircraft's weight and fuel burn but
also makes it possible to add features like oversized doors for easier boarding and
panoramic windows.
 Biopolymer Membrane: The cabin's bionic structure will be coated with a
biopolymer membrane which controls the amount of natural light, humidity and
temperature providing opacity or transparency on command and eliminating the
need for windows. This smarter structure will make the aircraft lighter and more
fuel-efficient while giving passengers 360 degree
views of the skies. This will offer unparalleled,
unobstructed views of the wonders of the five
continents - where you will be able see the Taj
Mahal or the Roman Colosseum through the
transparent walls of the aircraft.
 Integrated Neural Network: The cabin electrical system can be compared to the
human brain with a network of intelligence pulsating through the cabin. This
network will be absorbed into the structural materials, making the hundreds of
kilometers of cables and wires found in today's aircraft obsolete. Known as 'Smart'
materials they can perform numerous functions, recognizing the passenger so that
you too are 'connected' to the plane.

5. Aerospace &Defense
Nitin M.Kadam© Email:ntinmkadam@rediffmail.com
 Composite Materials: 'Composite' materials will be used - new matter made of a
combination of different materials. In the future
materials may not even take a solid state but could be
a composition of fluid and gas for example.
 Morphing Materials: Materials that change shape and return to their initial form,
growing like the leaves of a plant are a very real
possibility. Morphing materials might be metals or
polymers that have a 'memory'; or are covered with a
'skin' that will instigate a shape change. A memory is
created using sensor and activator systems that give
materials a certain level of artificial intelligence, allowing
them to adapt to the passengers' needs
 Self-Reliant Materials: Materials will be self-cleaning. Think of the leaves of a
flower plant which rolls off water in beads, taking contaminants with it. Today,
coatings inspired by this are used on the surfaces of cabin bathrooms. In the future
they will be found on the fabric of seats and the carpets.
These intelligent materials could also be self-repairing which are already used today
in surface protection. Certain paints can seal a scratch by themselves, just as the
human skin does.
 Ecological Materials: The future passenger cabin will be fully ecological. Fully
recyclable plant fibers that can be grown to a
custom shape will be sourced from responsible
and sustainable practices.

6. Aerospace &Defense
Nitin M.Kadam© Email:ntinmkadam@rediffmail.com
 Holographic Technology: Scenes showing the destination, a city skyline or a
tropical forest will be projected onto
the walls. A private cabin can reflect
your bedroom at home, a business
conference or any of your favorite
places specified. All thanks to the
projection of virtual decors.
Holographic technology will have
advanced to such a degree that the
virtual world will be indistinguishable
from the real.
 Energy Harvesting: Using the 1st law of thermodynamics (states that “Energy can
neither be created nor destroyed; it can only be transferred or changed from one
form to another) Smart energy solutions such as energy harvesting will be a part of
the entire aircraft body with much emphasis on the cabins. The body heat you give
out will be collected by your seat or pod as you relax or sleep and combined with
energy collected from other sources, like solar panels, to fuel cabin appliances.
 Concept Dual- Craft : The new engines that are being worked upon by British
Aerospace company –Reaction Engines which
is a jet engine also doubles up as a rocket
engine will reduce time to travel anywhere in
the world by half. Their reusable space-plane
SKYLON would take off from a runway, just
like a commercial aircraft before turning into a
rocket to fly into orbit.
 Craft-to-Craft Communication: Mid- air-collisions have been a problem for even
the leading aircraft OEM’s as the dependency still lies with the manual intervention

7. Aerospace &Defense
Nitin M.Kadam© Email:ntinmkadam@rediffmail.com
of the pilot flying the bird when in air, thereby risking passenger lives. To counter
this many defense companies have been thinking to implement the concept of
‘Connected Crafts’ just like the ‘Connected cars’ so as to how the birds what talk to
each other and plot each other’s
positions to avoid intersecting their
flight paths and a possible catastrophe.
The way a message gets through from
the cockpit to the rudder, landing gear
or the engine controls. Similarly,
aircrafts will be able to transmit
messages and control the air body all
by itself without manual intervention
to avoid disasters.