Silent plane would cut airport noise
A U.S.-British team of researchers from academia and the aerospace industry believes the passenger aircraft of the distant future will not only be fuel efficient, but virtually silent.
Leaders of a long-range research venture called the "Silent Aircraft Initiative" were scheduled Monday to release a conceptual design for a plane they say could cut through the air with practically no sound bothering those below, thanks to its unique shape and design features to limit engine noise.
The design adds a new twist to aviation's long history of mixed success developing flying wings designed to be more fuel-and space-efficient than conventional aircraft with long, narrow fuselages.
