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Academics produce software to make aircraft safer and greener

Academics at the University of Manchester have released a new piece of software able to predict the CO­2 emission of aircraft. The developers believe it could one day lead to less noisy, less polluting, and safer aircraft.

According to the developers, airlines underestimate the amount of CO­­2 they release in the atmosphere by up to 100 per cent, meaning, they say, that aircraft are more environmentally damaging than previously thought. The new software, called Flight, can accurately predict the level of emissions released in order to help the industry meet their environmental responsibilities.

The software, developed by Dr Antonio Filippone, can be easily downloaded from a website by airlines. While the potential to reduce emissions is arguably the most important uses of Flight, it has a range of other functions from noise reduction to accident investigation and prevention.

Noise around airports is an important consideration, and Flight can help air traffic controllers and airline authorities determine the best flight path for incoming and outgoing planes by providing exact measurements of noise produced at take–off and landing.

The software can also help airline companies with passenger load and the weight of luggage. Software copyright protection was arranged by The University of Manchester’s intellectual property commercialisation company, UMIP.

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