Footage of rare plane maneuver known as ‘injection’ has everyone blown away

  • Zero-G is a modified Airbus A310
  • It’s designed to fly at zero gravity for up to 20 seconds
  • The goal is to simulate space travel without going to space

Published on Jul 10, 2024 at 2:29 PM (UTC+4)
by Alessandro Renesis

Last updated on Jul 11, 2024 at 12:30 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by Tom Wood

This Airbus A310 Zero-G, a plane prototype, was filmed performing a maneuver known as ‘injection’.

This particular plane was designed specifically to defy gravity and physics.

And by the looks of it, things are going pretty well.

READ MORE: Piper says deliveries of fastest ever single engine aircraft will begin ‘immediately’ after certification received

Based on the commercial A310, the Zero-G is an aircraft specially modified for zero-gravity parabolic flights.

It briefly simulates zero-gravity by flying in a parabolic trajectory, which is what we’re seeing here.

The difference between a regular A310 and the Zero-G

Developed by Novespace for the ESA, the European Space Agency, the aircraft is a modified A310.

It’s 46.4 meters long and has a wingspan of 43.9 meters, the same dimensions as a ‘normal’ A310, but everything else is different.

Most of the seats are gone, and the cabin walls, floor, and ceiling are specially padded.

The goal is to simulate and replicate the effects of a zero-gravity situation without having to go to space.

How does the ‘injection’ maneuver work?

During a parabolic flight, the plane starts climbing at an angle of around 50 degrees.

This maneuver lasts 20 seconds, and the aircraft accelerates faster than gravity can pull it down.

Then, for another 20 seconds, the aircraft will fly at 390 km/h at 0 g (hence the name) and this means that, for a limited amount of time, passengers on board will feel weightless.

After that, it’ll take another 20 seconds to get back to normal.

We know that Airbus aircraft are capable of performing incredible stunts and maneuvers.

Not long ago, a retiring Airbus A380 pilot performed a breathtaking maneuver on his final flight full of passengers.

But the Airbus Zero-G is just on a different level.

# Tags - Airplanes


user

Alessandro Renesis

Experienced content creator with a strong focus on cars and watches. Alessandro penned the first-ever post on the Supercar Blondie website and covers cars, watches, yachts, real estate and crypto. Former DriveTribe writer, fixed gear bike owner, obsessed with ducks for some reason.