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Airbus Planning Transparent Planes

goG writes "European aircraft manufacturer Airbus has come up with the idea to build a passenger flight with a completely transparent fuselage. The central body of the aircraft will allow passengers to the see the stars above and city lights below. 'The planes of the future will offer an unparalleled, unobstructed view of the wonders of the five continents — where you will be able see the pyramids or the Eiffel Tower through the transparent floor of the aircraft,' Airbus said while unveiling the concept 'The Future By Airbus' earlier this year."

25 of 488 comments (clear)

  1. Transparent luggage? by DrData99 · · Score: 2, Funny

    And the baggage in the luggage compartment won't affect the view? Really?

    1. Re:Transparent luggage? by guardiangod · · Score: 2, Funny

      You fool! We are the baggage! The luggage will be in the passenger compartment. Now down you go!

  2. I hope... by Muckluck · · Score: 2, Funny

    the bathrooms are not transparent. Or maybe I don't...

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    --I like turtles...
  3. Re:Invisible jet? by SilverHatHacker · · Score: 1, Funny

    Hopefully only the female ones.

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    Funny may not give karma, but +5 Informative never made anyone snort coffee out their nose.
  4. Re:it would be awesome, but impossible by gmhowell · · Score: 2, Funny

    Yeah, there might be other passengers, but at least everyone else could enjoy it when a couple joins the mile high club.

    --
    Jesus was all right but his disciples were thick and ordinary. -John Lennon
  5. Re:Cue the transparent aluminum jokes by Sonny+Yatsen · · Score: 2, Funny

    Now that airlines are forcing larger passengers to buy double seats, all I can say is:

    "There be whales here!"

    --
    My postings are informational and does not constitute legal advice. Act on it at your risk.
  6. Re:An interesting idea by Daetrin · · Score: 2, Funny

    The next concept after that is for a double decker, with flight attendants wearing miniskirts and no panties. Upper deck seats cost double.

    ...

    Oh and did i mention that the flight attendants are all male?

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    This Space Intentionally Left Blank
  7. Awesome by jewishbaconzombies · · Score: 2, Funny

    Now we can scare the bejeezus out of people who are suffering from both Aviatophobia (fear of flying), AND Acrophobia (fear of heights). Give the passengers some double strength espresso and now you've got a show! Woo-ga!

  8. Obligatory by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny
  9. Re:it would be awesome, but impossible by roman_mir · · Score: 2, Funny

    Given the size of an average American, do you really want to see any of that?

  10. Re:Or what will actually happen. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Think about it - there'll be no need when the plane crashes for the pilot to actually announce the fact. The passengers can see the ground rapidly approaching them! It'll save precious seconds so passengers can prepare themselves.

    Or see the nose of the plane that's about to ram into them. Or see the mountain that the pilots are failing to see. Or the water that's rapidly approaching.

    Or the hijacker can quickly verify that you are definitely heading the way they want to go, instead of believing the pilot.

    Oh yeah, and if bits and pieces are coming off the plane, the passengers can helpfully advise the flight crew that the wing or tail seem to be missing. An engine fire will light up the cabin in a nice old-timey camping way.

  11. "negating the need for windows" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    FTA: "...additional functionality that provides transparency on command, negating the need for windows."

    Oh, thank fuck. Does that mean I can finally ditch the last vestiges of it living in wine and a sometimes-booted VirtualBox installation?

  12. Underpants salesman by DigitalCrackPipe · · Score: 4, Funny

    I figured out what step 2 is!

    Sell underpants to passengers who freak out when they can see the ground 30,000 feet directly below them.

  13. Re:OMG YES! by sycodon · · Score: 5, Funny

    "see the pyramids or the Eiffel Tower through the transparent floor of the aircraft"

    Vomit is transparent?

    --
    When Fascism comes to America, it will call itself Anti-Fascism, and tell you to give up your guns.
  14. Re:This would scare the hell out of me by EdZ · · Score: 5, Funny

    Ah, you don't have a fear of heights, you have a fear of depths.

  15. General Products by Roger+W+Moore · · Score: 4, Funny

    Just wait, tomorrow Airbus will announce it is changing its name to "General Products", then the fun will really start....

  16. Re:This would scare the hell out of me by Roger+W+Moore · · Score: 4, Funny

    the idea of experiencing a steep banking turn with a transparent fuselage makes fairly nauseous.

    Don't worry it sounds like it's a self correcting problem...

  17. European Heaven and Hell by DieByWire · · Score: 4, Funny

    Airbus engineers once again prove the old adage about European heaven and hell.

    In European heaven, the British are the police, the French are the cooks, the Germans are the engineers, the Italians are the lovers and the Swiss run the government.

    In European hell, the British are the cooks, the French are the engineers, the Germans are the police, the Italians run the government, and the Swiss are the lovers.

    --
    Never shake hands with a man you meet in a fertility clinic.
  18. Re:This would scare the hell out of me by interkin3tic · · Score: 4, Funny

    I have a fear of falling (and the more likely to my brain falling is the more the fear kicks in), glass or transparent anything that I'd stand, sit, or other hope to hell is going to support me would give me a full blown panic attack...

    Truth be told, it scares us too. The main reason we're developing these airplanes is for the youtube videos of people falling asleep on the planes, waking up, looking at the floor, and freaking out.

    sincerely,
    Airbus

  19. Re:This would scare the hell out of me by berzerke · · Score: 3, Funny

    Airbus may be able to make a plane like this. I doubt that they'll sell many to commercial airlines, due to liability concerns over people with acrophobia. There may be a niche market for sightseeing etc...

    I don't know. It might be great for in-flight sales of alcohol and valium like drugs.

  20. Re:OMG YES! by monkeySauce · · Score: 3, Funny

    Depends on the in-flight meal. So I guess it's Jello or nothing on the transparent plane.

  21. Re:Right... by fyngyrz · · Score: 2, Funny

    That's all right. If they confront me about it, I'll just yell "boo" and we won't see them again for a century...

    --
    I've fallen off your lawn, and I can't get up.
  22. good for competition by tverbeek · · Score: 4, Funny

    In a joint statement, the chief executives of British Rail, Société Nationale des Chemins de Français, Deutsche Bahn, Österreichische Bundesbahnen, Ferrovie dello Stato, Nederlandse Spoorwegen, Schweizerische Bundesbahnen, Renfe Operadora, Norges Statsbaner, and several other European rail companies applauded the idea, saying it would help to increase competition in the market for European travel.

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    http://alternatives.rzero.com/
  23. Re:I for one by mtrachtenberg · · Score: 2, Funny

    Welcome on board Budget Air's glass glider. As is always the case on Budget Air, bathroom use is completely complimentary. Curtains may be purchased from any flight attendant.

  24. That gives me e great idea by Chrisq · · Score: 2, Funny

    That gives me e great idea. Fully reclining seats and nudist sunbathing flights.