Check Out the Windowless Plane

Business Insider

A UK company has released details of what it would be like to fly in a windowless plane which could be in the air within 10 years.

The Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) has shown how a plane’s interior could be lined with ultralight, ultra thin displays which display images from the outside of the plane.

CPI says it’s possible for the panels to mirror whatever is outside in accordance with how passengers look around.

The sensation would no doubt take some getting used to.

But it’s more than just a marketing exercise. CPI says 80% of an aircraft’s weight is due to fuel and the plane itself, so taking the windows out could save airlines on running costs. There’s an approximate 0.75% fuel saving for every 1% reduction in weight, it says on its website.

“If you save weight, you save fuel,” CPI claim. “And less fuel means less CO2 emissions into the atmosphere and lower operational cost.

Windows currently require meticulous construction to ensure that their structure maintains cabin pressure and resists cracking at 35,000 feet.”
Company spokesman Dr Jon Helliwell told The Mirror that the idea could become a reality in 10 years and was simply a matter of fine-tuning the OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) technology that makes the “digital wallpaper” come to life.

Current OLED technology can deliver the images, but as OLEDs are sensitive to moisture, they have to be encased in inflexible glass.

“We are talking about it now because it matches the kind of development timelines that they have in the aerospace industry,” Helliwell said.