“Batwing" aircraft to carry 800 passengers?

British and American scientists are reportedly working on a “batwing” aircraft that will be able to carry 800 passengers while making less noise and burning less fuel than traditional airliners. According to The Times, tests on a scale model of the “blended wing body” plane are already under way at Cranfield University, in Bedfordshire, with Cambridge University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are due to get involved soon after receiving a £2.5 million grant to develop the project. The project is being supported by Rolls Royce and Boeing, and the newspaper reports that the first flights on blended wing planes could take place within 15 years. The Times states that passenger versions of the plane – it will be considered for military use as well – will carry 800 passengers in a “cinema-style” seating arrangement with rows of 40 or more seats. It continues: “There would be very few window seats. Boeing believes it can overcome any sense of claustrophobia by providing video screens linked to external cameras.” Report by Tim Gillett, News From Abroad Ltd