A sign of the times, perhaps, but who needs windows when you can have screens? That's the design philosophy of Otto Aerospace, which has developed a business jet that has no passenger portholes. Instead, the cabin is decked out with massive screens, and high-resolution cameras capture the exterior view. And Flexjet likes the concept enough to have ordered a whole bunch of the yet-to-launch aircraft.
Here's the Wall Street Journal:
The companies said Monday that Flexjet signed a contract to buy 300 of Otto's Phantom 3500 aircraft. Flexjet's order would be worth approximately $5.85 billion based on market pricing for each jet, though the companies declined to comment on the negotiated value of their deal. Flexjet will be Otto's first fleet customer. The aircraft is in development, with its first flight targeted for 2027.
How cool are the screens, called "digital displays" by Otto? Well, they'll be a whopping six-feet wide and provide a "panoramic" view, the WSJ reported. In Otto's renderings (see above), the visuals do indeed appear stunning.
Otto Aerospace
Before you get upset and suggest that virtual high-altitude views are inferior to the real thing, bear in mind that we have been getting accustomed to video replacing what we have traditionally used windows and mirrors to see. Back-up cameras are common in cars (mandatory in the U.S. since 2018) and rearview cameras are now sometimes an alternative to the mirror. One of my cars allows me to switch between camera and mirror, which is a good thing as visibility through my back window isn't great. I actually use the feature more than I thought I would.
In the WSJ's story, Paul Touw, Otto's CEO, referred to the technology as "supernatural vision," and in fact, the company has even branded it as SuperNatural Vision TM. But there are some clear physical advantages. Losing the windows improves the jet's aerodynamics and allows it to shed weight. This enables it to consume less fuel and, obviously, save money. But the virtual view is what really helps the aircraft stand apart. "You no longer have to lean over and look out the window," Touw told the WSJ.
Otto Aerospace
According to the WSJ, the screens are intended to appeal to "Gen Z," suggesting that Otto and Flexjet are positioning themselves to capture the business of the airborne moguls of the future. I guess the notion is that these folks will prefer a color-enhanced virtual view if it basically blows away what they could see though a small window. I'm with them, but on the other hand, it would be potentially alarming to be landing and suddenly have the screens glitch out. Or freeze.
Otto says that the Phantom 3500 has, naturally, a maximum range of 3,500 nautical miles. Cruising altitude is 51,000 feet, and the top speed of the aircraft is "transonic," or Mach 0.8 (NASA explains transonic flight here). The plane can accommodate nine passengers. Flexjet clearly digs what Otto is doing, and the announced deal is, according to the companies, one of the largest ever in the business-jet space. If it ultimately goes through, that's going to mean a lot of great big screens in the wide blue yonder.
