DEFINITION:

Radically new concepts in aircraft design could provide step changes – in flexibility of cabin layout (allowing for more specific tailoring of cabin space for business or leisure purposes) and reductions in operating costs resulting from highly integrated airframes, avionics and engines.

(Source: ACARE Domain 1002)

SUBDOMAINS:

1. Blended wing/body airliners
2. Supersonic or hypersonic airliners
3. Lighter-than-air (LTA) vehicles/airships – cargo transport, surveillance, communications, remote imaging
4. Very large payload capacity aircraft – cargo transports, airliners, utilisation of Wing In Ground effect (WIG)
5. Fully automated aircraft – 24 hour a day operation
6. Tilt-rotor and other vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) configurations
7. Hybrid configurations
8. Dedicated freight aircraft operations using separate infrastructures from passenger airliners – inter-modality issues
9. Interface with airport ground systems