Photo: Aeralis
Aviation is at a crossroads. That's because not only are the established companies making aircraft are researching new designs and propulsion technologies, but a small army of startups are coming up with ideas (and, more than that, some are even testing them) the likes of which the world has never seen. Like, say, a 5-into-1 modular aircraft.
The crazy idea belongs to a British company called Aeralis and it's as simple as it is revolutionary: instead of building several aircraft for different purposes, why not build a common platform and adapt that to whatever the needs of the moment are?
We first discussed the Aeralis idea back in September and we were instantly mesmerized. Primarily intended for use at the hands of the military, the plane promises a revolution in aviation, at least in terms of build and cost.
The whole plan revolves around a shared frame called Common Core Fuselage that can be gifted with different wing types depending on the intended use.
The plane can be used as a jet trainer, play the role of aggressor aircraft in mock aerial battles conducted for training purposes, or deployed for intelligence surveillance target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR). And that's just the tip of the iceberg, as there may be other uses as well, as there are really few limits as to what one can do with such a design.
The idea is still in its early stages, and there is no actual prototype being flown, so we don't know much about how the whole thing is supposed to work. Aeralis only says the thing's wings will have "a first-of-its-kind wing architecture," and hints to a Rolls-Royce engine supplying the power needed for flight.
There is no public timetable on when we'll get to see the Common Core Fuselage take to the sky for the first time with whatever wing configuration, but if we are to judge for the company's latest announcement, it's probably not long now.
The Brist said this week the first Aeralis test aircraft will be called Pheonix. As if trying to let us know the idea has some sort of support within the ranks of the Royal Air Force (RAF), we're told its members helped a lot with the naming,
More specifically, a number of RAF cadets submitted no less than 800 names for the test aircraft, and a panel that also comprised RAF higher-ups selected the winner.
At the time of writing we have no info on when the plane that'll be known from now on as the Aeralis Phoenix will fly. There's a good chance that will happen by the end of the decade, opening the doors for a potential market release over the decade that follows after that.
We first discussed the Aeralis idea back in September and we were instantly mesmerized. Primarily intended for use at the hands of the military, the plane promises a revolution in aviation, at least in terms of build and cost.
The whole plan revolves around a shared frame called Common Core Fuselage that can be gifted with different wing types depending on the intended use.
The plane can be used as a jet trainer, play the role of aggressor aircraft in mock aerial battles conducted for training purposes, or deployed for intelligence surveillance target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR). And that's just the tip of the iceberg, as there may be other uses as well, as there are really few limits as to what one can do with such a design.
The idea is still in its early stages, and there is no actual prototype being flown, so we don't know much about how the whole thing is supposed to work. Aeralis only says the thing's wings will have "a first-of-its-kind wing architecture," and hints to a Rolls-Royce engine supplying the power needed for flight.
There is no public timetable on when we'll get to see the Common Core Fuselage take to the sky for the first time with whatever wing configuration, but if we are to judge for the company's latest announcement, it's probably not long now.
The Brist said this week the first Aeralis test aircraft will be called Pheonix. As if trying to let us know the idea has some sort of support within the ranks of the Royal Air Force (RAF), we're told its members helped a lot with the naming,
More specifically, a number of RAF cadets submitted no less than 800 names for the test aircraft, and a panel that also comprised RAF higher-ups selected the winner.
At the time of writing we have no info on when the plane that'll be known from now on as the Aeralis Phoenix will fly. There's a good chance that will happen by the end of the decade, opening the doors for a potential market release over the decade that follows after that.
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