Designers rethink jet aircraft in the quest for shorter take-offs

What's wrong with this picture? If you said the engines are upside down, you'd be wrong. The odd engine placement is part of a cruise-efficient, short take-off and landing (CESTOL) aircraft concept from the Georgia Tech Research Institute which also sees mechanical wing-flaps replaced by high-speed blasts of air to generate extra lift. It's hoped that the development of such craft will make more airports available to fixed-wing jet aircraft by enabling take off and landing at steep angles on short runways, as well as reducing engine noise.

Full text: http://www.gizmag.com/nasa-cestol-research-jet-shorter-runways/16842/



Related:

Videos
NASA cruise efficient STOL aircraft concept video





2025: AirNextGen Flies NASA CESTOL Airliner video




Downloads
Quiet Cruise Effi cient Short Take-Off and Landing Subsonic Transport System (pdf)


Short Field Take-Off and Landing Performance as an Enabling Technology for a Greener, More Efficient Airspace System (PDF)

CESTOL(ppt)