Golf-Sierra Agree high speed trains are great, if you could do a direct train from e.g. Paris to Hamburg, it would take a few hours. Thing is there aren't. You have to change and the train will stop in the big cities on the way. Advantage of trains IMO are the comfort, low price, frequency and quality time, lack of airport compared to air travel..
Machaca Powerplants are under study. Coincidently RR gave an update in todays Flightglobal. RR is busy doing open rotor tests and sees it as the way forward after 2020.
Open rotor is "more 2023-2025 in timescale" and "pretty much targeted at the middle of the market, something like 25,000-35,000lb of thrust", says Nuttall. "We are still convinced that this is the only potential game changer."
Rolls-Royce details next-generation engine studies
What are the weight, drag, and fuel penalties of the increase in fuselage diameter over A320?
The fuselage has a bigger cross section. But as you can see it is flatter reducing the frontal area. Keep in mind drag increases squared with speed, cruise speed of the ECR-20 is about 10% lower then a A321.
OEW is lower because of
- the higher structural efficiency of the larger cross section
- application of 25 yr newer materials and technology
- the 9m shorter fuselage (!)
- lack of cargo capability
- carries half the fuel
- flies lower and slower and carries less, reducing structural loads
Compare the OEW of a 120 seat A318 to an 120 seat F100. The first is a lot more capable and is nearly 15t heavier too. Compared to a 7 abreast 767, the cross section of the ECR-20 is flatter and the floor lower.
The bigger cross section of the ECR-20 makes the application of composites feasible that do not scale down to NBs so well. (skin thinness becomes limited by impact and other mechanical properties. )
Pax cannot use their laptop, nor do they have much time after take-off, a drink, a bite and preparing for landing. Anyway, who won't have an Iphone7/ Crackberry / look alike by 2022?
About the seats, there are some conventional seats in the back. Familiy flights to Spain / Greece aren't the target group though. Short, busy morning - afternoon, evening flights between highly populated areas are.
London City "lounge"
GarageYears For the flights that are longer, have kids, need comfort, there will be the thousands of 737s, A320s, C919s, 757s, MS21s, CSeries etc.. so I do not see a big issue there..
Re Spiderman, we can't say anything pending further investigations..
Re cabin, gate / boarding music suggestion:
Dailymotion - Elton John - I'm Still Standing - a Music video