The Future of Airplanes Could Be a Windowless Jet

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An exterior view of the Ixion windowless jet. (Photo: Technicon Design)

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.

Related: Coming to an Airplane Near You: Windowless Cockpits 

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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.

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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: 

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