EPFL presents a modular aircraft at Paris Air Show
 

This sounded like crackpottery to me but its pedigree seems decently good.

So thought I'd post it for opinions. Well, at least you guys can do a thorough job ripping it apart. :) If anyone was at the Paris Air Show and saw this let me know your opinions!

Some key bits from the article:

"The Clip-Air project envisions an airplane consisting of a single flying wing onto which capsules carrying passengers or freight can be attached. More than a new type of flying device, its innovative concept could revolutionize the airports of the future."

"For the first time, a model of the Clip-Air plane will be presented at the Paris Air Show from 17 to 19 June 2013. Despite its being a very futuristic project, the scientists behind it work under rigorous constraints to maintain its technical feasibility."

"The Clip-Air project’s main contribution would be to provide rail transport’s
flexibility to air transport. On the one hand, the Clip-Air plane includes a
support structure made up by the wing, engines, cockpit, fuel and landing
gear. On the other hand, there is the load to be carried: passengers and/or
freight. Hence, the capsule would be equivalent to a real airplane’s fuselage,
but without its usual attributes. The flying wing can accommodate up to three
capsules with a capacity of 150 passengers each."

I always liked Thunderbird 2...

The ClipAir concept is not what you'd call elegant.

Clip-Air

LAUSANE design
 

From IT experience I know that modularity is the way to reach high level transparency, testing and safety in systems design, more than price decreasing or elegance.
Interfaces are the clue.
I wish EPFL success to find place in the civil aviation arena and possibility to prove economical feasability of the concept. Operating the modular needs KISS a bit more.

It seems to be little more than a university third-year design project.

EPFL | École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne

"Go to the train station to take the plane. Board on a capsule to reach the airport by rail, and then - without leaving your seat - fly to another city."

It could work if all the pax turning up at the train station at 10am want to fly to the same destination: "This is the train departing for Bermuda".

Plus I'm not sure the pax would like to know that they are separated from the pilots, who could jettison them at any minute.
.

Been done before:-

Fairchild XC-120 Packplane - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

They will keep the button labeled "unruly passenger jettison" well hidden from the public :E

Big red button. Can't miss it. Right next to the big red button to call the galley for coffee.

The first time ground handlers manage to mis-route an entire pod will be great fun.

Fifty angry German vacationers end up in Nairobi instead of Florida.