Friday, June 13, 2014

Texas Is Actually A Lot Prettier Than You Think (36 pics)

A lot of people think Texas is just tumbleweeds and cowboy hats but these pictures prove that's not the case at all.
















































































































AWWA-VA Gigabay Cargo Airplane by Oscar Viñals

We usually see Jet or Space craft designs from Oscar Viñals, this time, he has submitted a concept cargo airplane. You can read his detail description about this project below.


AWWA-VA “GIGAbay” is a concept of a “green” cargo airplane for this 21ts century, based primary on its high ratio of eco-friendly purpose and its big versatile capacity to adapt to many working environment. Thanks to its advanced systems and materials, it makes this cargo:



  • Energy efficient

  • Fewer emissions

  • Less aircraft noise until 30% compared with current standards

  • Big capacity of cargo with a volume of 2,303m3 and more than 220 tons of payload, with an internal advanced and active fuselage system

  • Capable to generate “green” power, thanks to superconductivity technology, fuel cell stack, wind generators, and solar energy

  • Equipped with 4 Hybrid engines – electric / fuel & two electric engines

  • Less damages in a hypothetical emergency landing with “auto-break” wings system

  • Less drag and weight (increasing the payload cargo)

  • Less fuel consumption and damaging emissions


AWWA-VA GIGAbay is the version for cargo transport of the AWWA “Sky Whale” concept plane, with similar base. It would be equipped with a new advanced technologies from alloys, ceramic or fiber composites, carbon nanotube and fiber optic cabling, smart materials (SMA), Hybrid & E-engines (E-e), active wings with wind generators inside. It is capable to create electric energy with micro solar cells in hexagonal geometry like a part of structure’s ceiling or through two big electromagnetic generators named W.E.R.D.S. (wind energy recovery duct system) based in superconductivity technology and fuel cell stack –Hydrogen- that transforms the air flow in energy.


The airplane’s fuselage offers a big compartment to have a maximum volume of cargo in order to transport huge items, for example sections of commercial airplanes, like two Airbus A350 XWB’s sections or 4 EC-725 Super Puma copters. The cargo bay provides a volume of 2,303m3 and depending on its configuration (versatility) would have the cargo’s distribution in two decks to carry more than 220 tons of weight. The bay could be equipped with a crane of double rail capable to move items up to 30 tons along the cargo bay. It also features an adaptable and mobile platform to carry up the cargo.


Designer : Oscar Viñals


AWWA-VA Gigabay Cargo Airplane by Oscar Viñals


AWWA-VA Gigabay Cargo Airplane by Oscar Viñals



To keep the integrity of this “big structure” and no common fuselage with the constant changes of pressure over it when the airplane’s flying, it is equipped with an internal active sub-fuselage A.F.S. that distributes the pressure to obtain the best performance and prevents damages over the fuselage. The A.F.S. is composed with a fiber carbon structure with multiple mobile sections with hundreds of sensors and an electric air pumps system with two external air intake devices that inject or pull out air at high pressure; the A.F.S. readapts its form in this way, all controlled by various computers that analyze every millisecond the situation. The airplane can “breathe”.


This concept airplane is equipped with 4 Hybrid Engines–Fuel Electric (hybrid turbo-electric propulsion system), the engines could use both fuel to burn in the engine’s core, and electricity to turn the turbofan when the core is powered down. The Hybrid engines could rotate up to 45 degrees in vertical position to assist in the take-off and landing maneuvers (VA -Versatile Alliance System- ), reducing substantially the distance of track to do this actions and like a support in adverse circumstances. Everything is controlled with avionic systems and flown by wire system that is assisted with active sensors located through all the plane’s surface. Two E-engines (Electric power only) over the wings, together with the powerful electromagnetic generators (W.E.R.D.S.) provide of electric energy directly to the engines and recharge the plane batteries. The W.E.R.D.S.(Wind Energy Recovery Duct System) use four superconductor turbines, boosted with the air flow and when the plane starts the system, use an inside turbofan boosted for a fuel cell stack (Hydrogen) to move only two superconductor turbines to generate the necessary power for E-engines on the take-off maneuver. When the airplane is flying the system feeds back.


AWWA-VA Gigabay Cargo Airplane by Oscar Viñals


AWWA-VA Gigabay Cargo Airplane by Oscar Viñals


AWWA-VA Gigabay Cargo Airplane by Oscar Viñals


AWWA-VA Gigabay Cargo Airplane by Oscar Viñals


AWWA-VA Gigabay Cargo Airplane by Oscar Viñals


AWWA-VA Gigabay Cargo Airplane by Oscar Viñals


AWWA-VA Gigabay Cargo Airplane by Oscar Viñals


AWWA-VA Gigabay Cargo Airplane by Oscar Viñals


AWWA-VA Gigabay Cargo Airplane by Oscar Viñals


AWWA-VA Gigabay Cargo Airplane by Oscar Viñals


Click above image for bigger view


To keep a low center of masses and well-adjusted, the storage batteries, Hydrogen and Fuel are located under the cargo bay section and wings.


One of the best aspects of this plane is its versatility, could be an advanced Mobile Hospital like a quick assistance in for example natural disaster that will affect any location around the world.

The Mobile Hospital could be equipped with operating rooms, intensive care units, laboratory, inside elevator for litters, little rooms for patients (100-150), and more…; all distributed in three floors. This airplane would have an extensible “Special Crane” capable to open an inflatable tent (campaign’s Hospital) in the front part. The “Special Crane” could provide of water, electric power, communications, recycle the air and all that maybe necessary for the campaign’s Hospital and a maximum of three tents with a capacity for more than one thousand patients.


AWWA-VA Gigabay Cargo Airplane by Oscar Viñals


Others possible “morphing” could transform the airplane in a Space Launcher with an electro-magnetic catapult system (EMCAT), a big water treatment plant or a very interest tool to “control” atmospheric phenomena (all projects are under “construction”).


The primary advantage of the design of the AWWA-VA “GIGAbay” is its eco-friendly aspect and as a second objective its capacity of transport and versatility at the same time. Thought-out for the future worldwide “green” air commerce; faster, big sizes and heavy transport, anywhere, anytime, with the latest building materials technology, safe, high performance and integration of green power in an “intelligent machine”.


AWWA-VA Gigabay Cargo Airplane by Oscar Viñals


AWWA-VA Gigabay Cargo Airplane by Oscar Viñals


In the near future, when we’ll be looking to the skies, we will see the “GIGAbay” leaving behind only water trails from its green engines, and this is the final purpose to descend at maximum the damaging emissions.


Some Specifications:

Crewmembers: 6

Overall length: 80 meters

Wingspan: 88 meters

Max. cargo: 220 tons

Volume cargo: 2,303 m3

Engines: 4 Hybrid engines & 2 Electric-engines (E-e)

Service ceiling: 13,100 meters (43,100 ft)

Max. speed: 903 km/h – Mach 0,85

Combustible storage: Fuel 15%, Hydrogen 10%&Next-Gen Batteries 75%

Generators: 6wind units (4 over the wings & 2 in the rear part of the airplane’s fuselage)


Tuvie has received “AWWA-VA Gigabay Cargo Airplane” project from our ‘Submit A Design‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their design/concept for publication.


AWWA-VA Gigabay Cargo Airplane by Oscar Viñals is originally posted on Tuvie - Modern Industrial Design