- Easyjet challenged the UK’s next generations of engineers to design their vision for future flying
- Entries for its Aircraft of the Future competition included planes powered by worms and hamster wheels
- But it was Cerys, aged eight, from Norfolk, and Lara, aged 15, from Surrey, who were crowned the winners
Easyjet challenged the UK’s next generations of engineers to design their vision for future flying – planes for travelling across Europe powered by a sustainable energy source. And the ideas that flew in were eye-opening.
They included unconventional power sources such as hamster wheels and worms, and seats made from coconuts, one of the thickest and most resistant natural fibres available.
But it was Cerys, aged eight, from Norfolk, and Lara, aged 15, from Surrey, who were crowned the winners of easyJet’s Aircraft of the Future competition – thanks to ‘inspirational’ designs.
Cerys’ winning design centred on battery power, with solar-powered wings and reusable cups for passengers made of processed banana leaves.
Lara’s design, meanwhile, looked at using pressurised hydrogen and fuel-cell stacks to generate electricity to power her passenger aircraft of the future.
By: Ted Thornhill, Mailonline Travel Editor