This Bird of Prey concept has wings, a tail and individually controlled feathers
Published on Jul 20, 2022 at 1:15 PM (UTC+4)
by Kate Bain
Last updated on Aug 12, 2022 at 3:42 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
This bird-plane hybrid is one of the weirdest and most incredible concepts ever created.
Called the Bird of Prey, the Airbus design is inspired by the mechanics of a bird.
It has actual wing and tail structures that mimic an eagle and even has individually controlled feathers.
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Airbus senior manager Martin Aston says it was designed this way because “nature has some of the best lessons we can learn”.
With a wing-to-fuselage joint, Airbus says the plane is able to mimic the graceful and aerodynamic arch of an eagle or falcon.
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Taking to Instagram to introduce the incredible concept, Airbus describes the fierce design as the future of tech.
“You’d be forgiven for thinking that the Bird of Prey is the latest comic book invention,” it said.
The European aerospace company says the design is a hybrid-electric, turbo-propeller aircraft.
Airbus also designed it with a propulsion system to reduce fuel burn by up to 50 percent.
“One of the priorities for the entire industry is how to make aviation more sustainable – making flying cleaner, greener and quieter than ever before,” Aston said.
Unfortunately, Airbus says it has no plans to actually produce the Bird of Prey.
Instead, it wants to inspire creativity in engineering.
“Our Bird of Prey is designed to be an inspiration to young people and create a ‘wow’ factor that will help them consider an exciting career in the crucially-important aerospace sector,” Aston said.
The Bird of Prey isn’t the only out-of-this-world concept Airbus has come out with.
The company’s Fello’Fly concept also takes inspiration from nature, in particular the V-shaped flight pattern of migrating geese.
Airbus says Fello’Fly aims to demonstrate the viability of two aircraft flying close together during long-haul flights.
The technique is known as wake energy retrieval – or surfing the air upwash of a lead bird.
Airbus says the upwash can enable a follower aircraft to benefit from “free lift”, resulting in less engine thrust and as a result, reduced fuel consumption.
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Kate is Lead Editor, overseeing coverage across automotive, tech, and lifestyle content on the site. She has more than 10 years’ experience as a journalist and news editor, having worked across a range of major publications including News Corp, Daily Mail Australia, and Sky News. Kate holds a Bachelor of Business Management from University of Queensland and a Postgraduate Diploma in Journalism from Queensland University of Technology. She has been with Supercar Blondie since 2020 and played a key role in establishing supercarblondie.com as a leading automotive news destination.
