Hybrid planes could complete the trip from London to Manchester in just 42 MINUTES by 2025

A hybrid-electric plane made in the UK could be ferrying people on short journeys through the skies by 2025. 

If the concept plane becomes reality it would be able to complete the journey from London to Manchester in just 42 minutes – noticeably faster than the one hour flight it currently takes to fly between the two UK cities. 

Start-up firm Faradair revealed it wanted to become the world’s most environmentally-friendly planes back in 2014.

It has now unveiled plans for a super-quiet small airliner with 18 seats that will be made of a carbon-composite body and designed to complete short trips.  

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The concept plane was ever manufactured it would be able to complete the journey from London to Manchester in just 42 minutes, significantly faster than HS2, its designers claim

The vehicles will be powered by a 1,600hp bio-diesel engine which will work alongside batteries to fly at speeds of up to 230mph. Start-up firm Faradair revealed it wanted to become the world’s most environmentally-friendly airplanes back in 2014

The vehicles will be powered by a 1,600hp bio-diesel engine which will work alongside batteries to fly at speeds of up to 230mph. 

Take-off and landing will be dominated by an electric motor powered by the batteries and the engine will be the predominant power source throughout the cruising phase of the flight, while also recharging the batteries – with some help from fixed solar panels.    

The budding company, based in Cirencester, is working in partnership with Swansea University to perfect its unique ‘triple box-wing’ design which is intended to maximise lift. 

Take-off and landing will be dominated by an electric motor powered by the batteries and the engine will be the predominant power source throughout the cruising phase of the flight, while also recharging the batteries – with some help from fixed solar panels

The budding company, based in Cirencester, is working in partnership with Swansea University to perfect its unique ‘triple box-wing’ design which is intended to maximise lift

Faradair’s concept plane is dubbed the BEHA_M1H and builds on its previous designs which focus on allowing it to take off and land on runways less than 1,000 feet (300 meters) long. 

It utilises a system called ‘vectored thrust’ from two contra-rotating propfans in the rear which are housed in a sound-cancelling area of the vehicle.

Engineers working on the project say they are aiming to keep take-off noise to as little as 60 decibels, similar to the noise level of background music and conversation. 

A typical jet engine used on many existing airliners at the moment create 140 decibels of noise. 

BEHA_M1H is predominantly designed with transportation of passengers in mind but would also be able to carry cargo of up to five tonnes by striping out the seats. 

‘The BEHA M1H variant, multi-role aircraft, will allow operators the ability to provide viable air transport services including; scheduled commuting flights, flight training and charter by day and the ability to use the quiet flight characteristics and payload capability for cargo operations at night,’ says Managing Director of Faradair, Neil Cloughley, New Atlas reports. 

‘Our order book is now open and we look forward to working with potential customers and airport operators, as we begin the build of our first demonstration prototypes later this year, intended for flight trials by 2022.’

Faradair’s concept plane is dubbed the BEHA_M1H and builds on its previous designs which focus on allowing it to take off and land on runways less than 1,000 feet (300 meters) long

BEHA_M1H is predominantly designed with transportation of passengers in mind but would also be able to carry cargo of up to five tonnes by striping out the seats and replacing it with thee containers