Clean Sky Research Project Accelerates after Slow Start
The European Union's €1.6 billion ($1.9 billion) aeronautics research effort known as Clean Sky recently has gained momentum, and officials expect to see s
European companies' work toward “greener” air transport under the Clean Sky program has taken the form of open rotor technology such as that under study by Safran subsidiary Snecma. The company displayed the mockup at the first Clean Sky conference, held in Brussels last week.
European companies' work toward “greener” air transport under the Clean Sky program has taken the form of open rotor technology such as that under study by Safran subsidiary Snecma. The company displayed the mockup at the first Clean Sky conference, held in Brussels last week.

The European Union's €1.6 billion ($1.9 billion) aeronautics research effort known as Clean Sky recently has gained momentum, and officials expect to see several demonstrators running on the ground or in the air by 2014 or 2015. After a slow start in 2008-2009, the so-called joint technology initiative (JTI) is now progressing at almost nominal speed. Project leaders hope to offer timely solutions to render the next generation of aircraft more environmentally friendly; the development of brilliant technologies over a period far into the future would prove a mistake, they believe. Schedules call for the public-private partnership to end in 2017, after the European Commission and the industry each spend €800 million ($950 million) in cash and in kind, respectively.

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