Airbus submits patent application for windowless jet cockpit

Didn't know what forum to put this in.

Interesting patent. I doubt I'll be alive to see a windowless cockpit.

http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2014/07/airbus-submits-patent-application-for-windowless-jet-cockpit/

I wonder who patented the original cockpit with windows?

Might as well fly passenger aircraft as drones. But are aircraft passengers comforted by their pilots risking their lives too?

Never happen

Randy said:

Never happen in my life time

Click to expand...

Fixed that for you...

Time for me to stop flying in that case. Am I saying something about my age?

They're most of the way there already considering all the new big jets are "fly by wire". No mechanical connections so if the all electronics fail… There's not much the pilot can do anyway. So far no problems with all the redundant systems, but only time will tell.

I don't envision "drone" passenger airplanes in my life time but they will undoubtedly come at some point as technology marches on.

Gee, shades of Gerry Anderson (Captain Scarlett, Thunderbirds)

There are redundancies in nearly every system, especially on commercial planes. In this type of proposal, though, there appears to be not even the most basic ... a window to the outside world. Should just one system - the visual simulator - fail, the pilot is literally blind. Even in severe IFR situations, you'd still have that last minute acknowledgement from runway lights when landing. Not so here.

My cynicism tells me this is just a play on the recent popularity of drones. I don't believe Airbus, or any major manufacturer, is ready for the potential liability of this kind of commercial flight.

Drones aren't new either. My father made and flew radio controlled airplanes in the late 1950's - One of his many hobbies. One of the fellows in the group had a BIG 4 engine bomber (I can't remember what kind) that he built to scale. He could raise and lower the landing gear and he could even drop "bombs". We call them "drones" now, but all they are is radio controlled aircraft with advanced technology.

As I said in earlier posts - This isn't for now. It's for the future. Actually I don't think at this time it is even patentable. It's publicity like Amazon's "drone delivery" test stuff. Then again, http://www.businessinsider.com/russian-pizzeria-delivers-pizza-by-drone-2014-6

None the less, 20, or 30 years from now who knows…

Technically right now it is possible to fly a "fly by wire" airplane from a ground station.