The Airbus Bird of Prey: a 'vision of the future' for aerospace?

Martin Aston was on holiday, looking at the sky.

“I had been watching a buzzard or some other bird of prey, and it just looked so effortless,” says the Airbus job transformation manager. “It could soar for hours and hours.”

Back at work, technological limitations in aerospace were becoming ever clearer. “We are at a point where we are reaching the limit in products, particularly in environmental performance,” he says. Could control systems and other cutting-edge technology bring aircraft closer to a bird’s effortless and efficient gliding?

The Airbus Bird of Prey concept starts to answer that question. Created to inspire a new generation of aeronautical engineers, the design is a “vision of what that future could look like”.

Birds of a feather

Aston discusses birds in cold, clinical language. The animals have “fully active airframes” – their rear bodies are “rear fuselages”. Working alongside colleagues from the Great Britain Campaign, Royal Aeronautical Society, Air League, Institution of Engineering and Technology and Aerospace Technology Institute, Aston was drawn to a particular element of birds’ flight: “They never stay still,” he says. “The reason is, they are always optimising the configuration of their bodies. They are doing it to hold station or minimise drag. If your range depends on how much you eat, you’re going to make sure you can make the most of your fuel.”

With the demands of emissions targets, efficiency is a key aim for future aircraft. But how can engineers achieve that? One option could be to mimic the “multi-functioning devices” of birds’ bodies, rather than discrete elements to control roll, lift and other aspects of flight. 

The Bird of Prey’s wing and tail structures mimic those of an eagle or falcon, with individually controlled feathers for active flight control that also minimise drag and noise. The split tail could enable fine control, while the lack of a vertical tail would reduce drag. Other striking features include a blended-wing-to-fuselage joint, mirroring the graceful and aerodynamic arch of a bird of prey.  

The regional aircraft would use hybrid-electric propulsion to carry 80 passengers up to 1,500km. A lightweight, carbon-fibre fuselage would use a geodesic structure, inspired by the work of bouncing bomb inventor and aerospace pioneer Sir Barnes Wallis. The distributed propellers offer greater redundancy, as well as extra lift at low speed. The design could cut fuel burn by 30-50%, while being “ultra-quiet” during take-off and landing. 

Additive manufacturing could be key in building the Bird of Prey. Although Aston says the technique is increasingly used for applications that cut aircraft weight and cost, it has a long way to go to reach its full potential. It could create hollow metal structures, for example, mimicking birds’ porous skeletons for decreased weight.

Hatching new talent

Could an aircraft resembling the Bird of Prey ever leave the nest? Aston says Airbus could get close but adds: “I think it would be very difficult. You would need far more cooperation among suppliers, engineers… far more integration of disciplines and organisations.”

Technology is not the only issue, he says – we need a new generation of engineers capable of “high-value design”. Aston hopes the Bird of Prey could provide important impetus. 

“We need to inspire the next generation to consider a career in engineering, see it as an opportunity.”