Santa’s Sleigh Gets a Retrofit, Courtesy of GE Aviation
Santa Claus is getting some next-generation power to propel his famous red sled, thanks to engineers at GE Aviation. Illustration courtesy GE Aviation
THE NORTH POLE—Santa Claus is getting some next-generation power to propel his famous red sled, thanks to engineers at GE Aviation. They used artificial intelligence technology to design a sleek new vehicle to ensure that his Christmas Eve flight around the world remains on schedule, despite recent logistics challenges and bah humbug tariffs.
The new state-of-the-art vehicle features several state-of-the-art propulsion options, including a pair of GE9X jet engines. Built for long-haul commercial air travel, each unit provides 134,300 pounds of thrust. Another option is a dual-mode ramjet propulsion system that will allow Santa to hurdle across the skies at hypersonic speeds of more than 4,000 mph.
“We thought it would be nice to provide Santa’s sleigh with some extra supplemental power to help cover his deliveries around the world faster and more efficiently than ever before,” says Thomas the Elf, North Pole fleet support leader at GE Aerospace. “With our hypersonic dual-mode ramjet, it would take Santa just 40 minutes to travel from New York City to London.
“But, while we want to help Santa fly faster, we also want to help him fly more efficiently, too. That’s why we’re also outfitting his sleigh with alternative ultra-efficient engine modes that integrate our latest concepts in hybrid electric propulsion.
“Our customer support teams around the world will be on standby, just in case Santa’s sleigh needs a quick engine check or tune up,” adds Thomas the Elf.
“We will be providing predictive health monitoring that uses AI to help us forecast an engine’s service needs. If Santa’s sleigh is having any issues, we should have enough lead time to find the right spot to make any needed repairs.
“We expect this will be a record year for Santa in gift deliveries. The freight on board the sleigh will be substantial, but it’s nothing his reindeer [and our] propulsion systems can’t handle.”
Looking for quick answers on assembly and manufacturing topics? Try Ask ASM, our new smart AI search tool. Ask ASM
Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!
