Windspeed Aircraft Skydeck Is the Poor Rich Man's Alternative to Space Travel

You could argue that skydiving or those wingsuits are even more effective alternatives, but we're talking here about stuff that even your 80-year-old granny could do. Presuming she's worked hard all her life and has a very consistent pension now.

Windspeed Technologies is an aerospace engineering company that could best be described as a "tuner for aircraft." But instead of making carbon fiber bits that bolt on to planes making them look more stupid and less practical, these tuners focus on useful modifications.

The latest offering from Windspeed is the Aircraft Skydeck, which is basically the aeronautical equivalent to a panoramic sunroof. Don't expect it to open, though.

The idea is that in-flight entertainment has remained the same over the last decades, so Windspeed decided to try and do something to spice those long and tedious flights a bit. How does poking your head through the plane's fuselage sound?

It sounds like one of the simplest yet greatest ideas that somehow have never materialized until now. Well, Windspeed's Aircraft Skydeck is still a project, but it's been in development for over a year and is now ready to be implemented. According to its creators, the Skydeck can be carved into any type of aircraft, even though the larger airliners make the obvious first choice. However, a single-seat version could even be used on the VIP personal jets.

The Skydeck's transparent canopy is just as strong as the rest of the plane's exterior, capable of withstanding any type of bad weather or even the eventual unfortunate bird collisions. The biggest problem in coming up with a functional design was the aerodynamic interference with the plane's tail. In the end, a teardrop shape was found to work best, while positioning it near the back of the plane means that the extra drag it creates is negligible.

Obviously, the Windspeed Aircraft Skydeck will provide the best seats in the house, which will also make them the most expensive ones. That extra cost will come in handy considering the added weight will mean fewer people on board, so rest assured, the airlines won't be running at a loss.

This may not be as cool as watching Earth from its orbit through a porthole, but even though it will cost as much as a kidney and a liver, it will still be less expensive than space travel. And, in a way, it's even more interesting. Just imagine the plane banking over the Alps on a clear winter's day. And no alarm clock to stop it.