Recycle My Fuselage
ByMarilyn Terrell
January 14, 2010
Airlines are retiring the mid-size MD-80/DC-9 planes that first began flying in 1980 and are replacing them with larger, more efficient models. But what to do with the old aircraft?
Industrial designer Carl Burdick has an innovative alternative to the dump: why not convert some of the fuselages into Mobile Arctic Research Stations (M.A.R.S.)? They are lightweight and would be easy to transport by helicopter to the desired location, and they’re built to withstand airspeeds of more than 300 mph, thus capable of enduring icy Arctic blasts.
Burdick designed the concept station with renewable energy generators including wind turbines and solar panels, a water pump, water filtration system, gray water recycling system and lithium-ion batteries that can be charged by the renewable energy generators.
Another option: make the fuselage into an awesome desk/room-divider.
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