Swiss develop fuel-efficient aircraft

SmartFish takes off to the skies

10 April 2007 15:40 GMT / By Ryan Haynes

If you're hoping to escape road congestion it might not be long before you'll have your own aircraft. A group of Swiss aeronautical designers have successfully flown their Hyfish prototype after five years of development.

With plans to begin work on a full-scale 20-foot two-seater, the SmartFish will travel at 560mph using less fuel than a car through hydrogen fuel cells. Flight relies on aerodynamic configuration known as a lifting body, with reletively few moving parts.

The designers have ensured requires minimal operation and low maintenance. It's shape is optimised for low drag at normal cruising speed, and the craft's fuel-cell turbofan technology make it work. The construction of the aircraft has been designed so it shouldn't be too costly to build.

They hope that one day, they will have a design to fit 20 people on board. You can see the prototype in action on the SmartFish website.

Full tags

Gadgets, Airlines, Fuel-cell, Hydrogen