Airbus’ new concept plane looks like a UFO

Airbus' new concept plane looks more like a Star Trek flying machine than a conventional jet, the company's patent application seems to suggest.

The ''bagel plane'' would seat passengers in a circular cabin, while its new body shape would allegedly minimise the structural stress in the aircraft  rt.com reported.

While the traditional ''approximately cylindrical'' geometry of an aircraft's cabin was designed to withstand pressurisation loads, the front and rear ends of the cabin are much more sensitive to such loads, according to the patent application.

The application goes on to offer an easy solution twisting the cylinder into a bagel shape without longitudinal ends.

''The purpose of the invention is particularly to provide a simple, economic and efficient solution to these problems, or at least partially overcome the...disadvantages,'' the application says.

The interior would see passengers seated in a bagel-like formation rather than in neat rows, as in the traditional jets. This formation would maximise efficiency, while the shape of the aircraft would cut stress on the front and back ends of the plane. Apparently, this would also allow for a higher volume of passengers.

''An approximately cylindrical geometry limits possibilities for increasing the passenger carrying capacity of the aircraft,'' the application states.

Dubbed the 'flying doughnut' and UFO, the application states the design would address the ongoing problems associated with pressurised cabins that placed stress on the front and back end of planes requiring heavy reinforced frames, news.com.au reported.

According to the application, the purpose of the invention was particularly to provide a simple, economic and efficient solution to these problems.

The new design, would seat passengers in a 360 degree cabin having curved aisles. The plane too appeared revolutionary looking more like a flying saucer than the standard cylindrical shape seen today.

''An approximately cylindrical geometry limits possibilities for increasing the passenger carrying capacity of the aircraft,'' the patent says.

Despite its unusual shape it is anticipated the plane would still be able to cater for different classes of passengers. While economy and premium economy would be seated in the outer ring, business class would take the inner circle.

The application shows passengers boarding and departing the plane using escalators that took them into the centre of the circular seating arrangement.

Airbus told the Financial Times that the new doughnut design was ''not something that's currently under active development.''