The Cambridge-MIT Institute's Silent Aircraft Initiative is a response to this problem. It brings together some 40 researchers at the University of Cambridge and MIT
Aviation has a huge impact on the British economy, adding £10bn to UK GDP and supporting thousands of jobs. But at the same time, aircraft noise pollution severely impacts the quality of life of residents living near airports. So reducing the noise blight from the expected growth in air travel is essential.
The Cambridge-MIT Institute's Silent Aircraft Initiative is a response to this problem. It brings together some 40 researchers at the University of Cambridge and MIT in a collaboration that also involves aerospace manufacturers Rolls-Royce and Boeing, airports and airline operators, regulators the Civil Aviation Authority, air traffic controllers National Air Traffic Services, equipment manufacturers, Cranfield University and many others.
Starting with the question "What would an aircraft look like if a radical reduction in noise were a primary design goal?", the researchers are working on conceptual designs for a 'Silent' Aircraft that would be imperceptible in the typical built-up environment outside the perimeter of an airport. And they are testing the feasibility of the new technologies that will be required to make this aircraft a reality.
