Air travel accounts for 2.5 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions so the pressure is huge on airline companies to come up with more sustainable aircraft in order to reduce the industry’s environmental impact. Enter the Her0 Zero, a futuristic airplane that could be key to achieving zero-carbon travel flights.
Streamlined and elegant, with two long wings situated at the rear, it looks like a gas-guzzling super jet built for crisscrossing the planet with scant regard for environmental impact. In fact, it’s the design for electric passenger airplanes that strives for efficiency, sustainability, and glamor.
The concept aircraft is the work of New-York based designer Joe Doucet, who came up with the idea for a zero-emissions passenger plane while flying for work and feeling guilty about the carbon footprint he was leaving behind.
Doucet’s design, the Her0 Zero Emissions Airplane uses electric-powered propellers located at its rear to provide the thrust, while sweeping wings that end in large, upturned winglets, provide the lift. Because the plane is powered by electric propellers and not fuel engines, air travel could be a bit slower than what’s currently in the skies — but the tradeoff would be travel with cleaner air.
As for the swept-back wing design, this is to ensure the airplane’s well balanced — most of the weight will be in the back of the aircraft, as that’s where the battery will be situated.
To get a glimpse into how slick the future of eco-aviation might look like, look no further.
