Windspeed’s SkyDeck puts luxury seats on top of a plane

First class won’t be the same once a new luxury option goes into effect: seats in a clear dome on top of an airplane. Called SkyDeck, this new seating arrangement concept has been designed by Windspeed Technologies, an aerospace engineering firm; it features a clear glass dome with a pair of seats inside, giving passengers a 360-degree view of the open sky around them.

The SkyDeck is presented as a sort of in-air entertainment option — it isn’t clear whether the seating is intended to be flight-long or a temporary break from the claustrophobia below. The SkyDeck can have one or two seats, and can be accessed through either a staircase or an elevator, likely depending on the design of the aircraft itself.

SkyDeck could be used with a wide variety of aircraft, including smaller personal jets and large, wide planes; it can be installed in existing planes, as well. Numerous tests have been conducted to see how the sky pod affects the aircraft’s typical flying behavior, and has been designed so that it doesn’t interfere with tail behavior.

To help keep air drag down, the SkyDeck is positioned closer to the rear of the plane. The concept video able shows a virtual look at how the inside of the pod may look. The cabin could include various trimmings, including a control of some sort (a tablet, perhaps) that lets the passengers reorient themselves inside the pod, swiveling to the rear, for example.

According to a statement in Windspeed’s website, “A large aircraft OEM manufacturer plans to offer SkyDeck to its clients.”

SOURCE: Design Boom