British Scientists Test Out “Hijack-Proof” Airliner
Scientists from BAE Systems and Airbus are testing out the first hijack-proof airliner, that is said to be able to steer itself away from tall buildings and even land by remote control if terrorists take control of the plane of kill the pilot.
The Sunday Times said the tests were being conducted in Bristol in England, and Hamburg in Germany using actors in planes on the ground.
Reportedly, the technology will be available to airlines by mid-2008 with the full system to be installed a few years later. The system was developed to avoid the September 11, 2001 attacks where al-Qaeda members hijacked four airliners and crashed into several targets.
BAE and Airbus said the new system goes beyond the reinforced cockpit doors and sky marshals used as the immediate deterrent to terror attacks. They said it is designed as a last line of defense if the strict airport security and passenger surveillance measures fail to prevent a hijack.
Part of the system will employ biometric technology that will be used in order to gain access to cockpit doors. Irises and fingerprints will be scanned so that only authorized crew can enter the cockpit.
Similar biometric sensors would be outfitted to cockpit instruments just in case the terrorist kills the pilot. Should that scenario occur ground controllers can still maneuver the plane by remote.
The plane’s computer will be programmed to prevent the plane from being taken off its pre-determined course, while ground controllers land the aircraft at a nearby airport using remote control.
But the most significant feature of the technology is the emergency avoidance system designed to automatically alter the plane’s course if it is heading for buildings or mountains in case the terrorist threatens the pilot or force the plane to fly into a building.
An avoidance system would be able to determine if the plane is being directed towards a target and override the pilot and direct the plane towards the sky. The system is based on the technology used to avert mid-air collisions.
Source - All Headline News