The UK's University of Cambridge, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the USA, engine maker Rolls-Royce and British Airways are to collaborate on a three-year research project to identify aircraft noise reduction techniques.
Engineers at Cambridge and MIT will look at whole aircraft design with the goal of minimising noise, and will investigate concepts including mounting the engines on top of the aircraft to shield the ground from noise. Operational practices such as deploying the landing gear as late as possible on approach will also be reviewed.
The team says the number of people affected by aircraft noise in the UK is set to double over the next 30 years to 600,000 as airport capacity around London is expanded.
Source: Flight International
