Flights of fantasy for Boeing

Researchers at Boeing are trying to create an anti-gravity device that could revolutionise air travel.

They are basing their experiments on the research of Russian scientist Yevgeny Podkletnov, who claims to have developed a device which can shield objects from the earth's gravity.

By reducing gravitational pull on planes, the device could bring huge fuel savings.

Dr Podkletnov claims to have countered the effects of gravity in an experiment at Tampere University of Technology in Finland in 1992. He says he found that objects above a superconducting ceramic disc rotating over powerful electromagnets lost weight.

The reduction in gravity measured only about two per cent, but the possibilities for saving energy have excited Boeing, the world's largest aircraft maker.

Dr Podkletnov's research has been treated with scepticism by scientists, however documents seen by Jane's Defence Weekly show Boeing is taking his findings seriously. Nick Cook, of Jane's Defence, said today it was difficult to assess the validity of Dr Podkletnov's claims because he had kept much of his research secret. But he said: "I have obtained documents which show Boeing is looking into the claims. They are interested in their application to aircraft, spacecraft and even free energy."

The military wing of the British company BAe Systems is also working on an anti-gravity programme, and Nasa is trying to reproduce Dr Podkletnov's experiment as well, but an initial report recently dismissed the possibility of such an effect.