National Business Aviation Association hottest idea

[botsapper]

Bored of inflight internet, even the Eithad Airways' luxurious the Residence suite not special enough. Windspeed Tech wants to retrofit, SkyDeck, a 360 degrees clear teardrop bubble on top of airliners and business jets. Similar to materials and fabrication techniques of fighter plane canopies, one or two passengers could have a commanding view (and extra UV dosage) of their flight route. The optimized shape will not interfere with the aircraft's aero efficiency or tail control performance, however the added weight of the canopy and extra structural strengthening will affect fuel consumption. Most likely made up by ultra premium tickets.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5IAmNXMkUg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLZg-gfLgcI

[gone-ot]

...uh, history shows that Lockheed discontinued the navigator's "dome" (on their propeller Constellations) after a couple domes failures had resulted in people being sucked out of the plane.

And, the 'Connies didn't fly either as HIGH nor as FAST!

[botsapper]

Originally Posted by Old Tele man

...uh, history shows that Lockheed discontinued the navigator's "dome" (on their propeller Constellations) after a couple domes failures had resulted in people being sucked out of the plane.

And, the 'Connies didn't fly either as HIGH nor as FAST!

The 'astrodome' shattered on the TWA Constellation "Star of Hollywood". http://www.lockheedmartin.com/conten...8141364543.jpg

The hemispherical domes were fitted in all orders of aircraft. Pressurized B-29 bombers used them for their gunners with remote control of their gun turrets. They were also primarily used by navigators with sextants for nighttime celestial navigation.
I'm sure the canopy addition will be well engineered.

[freebeard]

Jalopnik: Opulent Air Travel Is Reaching a New Level of Lunacy with Seats On Top of the Plane

Instead of offering reliable on-time service, zero baggage fees, and decent meals, airlines seem willing to try anything else to fill seats.

Acrylic bubbles and tubes are used for submarines, it all comes down to the thickness of the material. I didn't take the Youtube links to a video enabled browser, but Jalopnik shows an installation that has a cylinder the seats retract into. It has Star Trek-y double doors that are probably there to prevent implosive decompression. A tiny O-ring seal is all it would take.

The doors should dark electrochromically to prevent upskirt gawkers. ...or so I hear.

Seriously, though, this is the Aerodynamics forum. Will the increased price on two tickets pay for the added fuel costs? Is the apparent 1.5:1 fineness ratio adequate? Is the filleting according to Hucho?

[jamesqf]

Considering that in my (admittedly limited and not recent) experience of commercial air travel, 99.9% of passengers would rather watch old TV reruns than look out the window, I doubt that this idea is going to fly :-(

[niky]

Like we need something else to remind us we're strapped into a paper-thin aluminum tube suspended a few thousand meters in the air by a pair of extremely complicated and sensitive air pumps with thousands of potential points of failure?