Windspeed, a US aerospace company has recently introduced a potential airplane feature, SkyDeck, bubble-shaped viewing platform for the top of commercial aircraft that offers 360-degree views from the sky.
Windspeed Technologies, a private aerospace engineering services company has filed for a patent for airplane seats at the top of a plane.
Windspeed, which bills itself as a “premier aerospace engineering services company”, has released on its website details of a system called SkyDeck that allows passengers to experience 360-degree views up in the air. The design concept features a semi-external glass “teardrop canopy”, or a pod, described as an “experiential in-flight entertainment system” that could be installed on a variety of aircrafts, from commercial airplanes to executive jets.
The company says that additional weight and fuel burn will not be an issue. The teardrop-shaped viewing bubble will include a UV-protection coating and an anti-condensation film to prevent fogging. According to the company, SkyDeck will “provide an exhilarating view of the aircraft’s external environment while in flight” and will be available soon.
The teardrop-shaped pod could be accessed by either an elevator or a short staircase. Two passengers at a time could be accommodated on the rotating platform. The concept is still pending patent and trademark approval. The company says SkyDeck will provide a new “in-flight entertainment option for the airline industry and VIP aircraft owners.” As the website states, current in-flight entertainment offerings have not changed much over the decades.” Windspeed Technologies claim they wanted to “come up with a product that would provide a higher level of entertainment” aboard the planes and reduce the boredom of long flights.
According to Shakil Hussain, president of Windspeed Technologies and inventor of SkyDeck, the price depends on the design chosen as well as the type of aircraft on which the system will be installed and it estimates range from $8 million to $25 million.
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