VTOL Airport

A hypersonic flight makes no sense if the traveler spends two hours in ground transit and security. The VTOL Airport is designed as a high-throughput, 3-floor vertical terminal that can be placed directly in city centers due to its minimal footprint. The BtBC, which I proposed earlier, is capable of this due to its specially designed tandem wings and silent ducted rocket engines; coupled with very high-altitude flight, it produces almost no sonic boom on the ground. This allows for a hypersonic VTOL airport in the city center.

The design of the BtBC further enables such an airport by featuring a removable cargo bay in its aft section. Once landed, the BtBC stays very close to the ground. Robotic ramps rise from the floor below and align with the exit doors of the plane. This allows for four simultaneous access points to the aircraft, reducing boarding and de-boarding times. Utilizing ramps may take up more space but negates the need for elevators for accessible boarding. Meanwhile, a robotic elevator forklift removes the cargo bay from the plane and lowers it to the baggage reclaim section. Once the cargo bay is placed on the arrivals floor, the robotic lift rises one floor and picks up the departing passenger cargo bay. Then, it rises to the launch pad and mounts the cargo bay to the departing plane. This setup requires standardized cargo bays so that a spare can be loaded and ready before the arrival bay is fully unloaded. This reduces cargo loading and unloading times dramatically. More importantly, passengers drop their baggage where they board the plane. This process ensures no baggage is lost or damaged. Arriving passengers go downstairs to the street level and reclaim their baggage immediately, allowing them to leave the airport without long waits or walks.

Once the arriving passengers clear the ramps and the interior of the plane is checked (which takes less time with four access doors), the departing passengers can board the plane where their baggage is already loaded. Once boarding is complete, the plane takes off vertically and clears the pad for the next aircraft. The entire process is optimized to minimize delays and reduce inefficiencies.

The launch pad is covered by a sound-deadening and wind-shielding mesh to reduce noise and the effect of wind during takeoff and landing. The underground level is used for parking and storing fuels and oxidizers, as well as maintenance equipment.

The vertical structure of the airport reduces its land requirement, further enabling a city-center airport.