Would you fly in a windowless plane? It sounds like a claustrophobic nightmare, but it’s not what you think.
Instead of windows, designers from Technicon Design
used flexible screens to cover the walls and ceilings of the cabin in
their windowless jet concept. Those screens can display panoramic
exterior views in real time using fuselage and wing mounted cameras.
Essentially, you can see outside without actually seeing outside.
Cameras on the wings display a panoramic view on the interior screens. (Photo: Technicon Design)
This feat in aviation is named the Ixion windowless jet, and it was unveiled by Technicon at the National Business Aviation Association
(NBAA) show. “I challenged the team to break out of conventional
thinking with regards to a business jet exterior and interior,” said
Gareth Davies, design director at the Technicon Design Studio in France.
“Whilst defining the concept sketches for the exterior, I asked the
rest of the team to start thinking about interior concepts and what we
could do differently.”
And,
boy, did they do something differently. In addition to displaying the
current exterior environment, the screens can also be programmed to show
any scenery you’d like. So as you fly, you can adjust the theme and
mood to feel as if you’re in a rainforest, in Paris, or even in space.
The technology also allows for onscreen display, meaning that in-flight
video conferencing would be possible as well. 
Who needs windows with a view like this? (Photo: Technicon Design)
The jet uses existing or very
near future technology, so you won’t be seeing it on runways for a bit
longer. Still, this futuristic concept makes you think of what can come
next. Anyone up for a windowless car?
WATCH a full tour of the windowless jet here:
VIDEO
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