3:11pm UK, Monday July 29, 2002

Anti-gravity planes which could revolutionise air travel are being researched by Boeing.

The company hopes to "defy" the laws of physics using technology that makes objects lose weight.

SL generic Boeing aircraft non-specific airline

Work may radically change aviation

Aerospace giant Boeing hopes the pioneering science could help develop a futuristic fuelless aircraft.

But access to a key Russian scientist who is an expert in the field is currently being blocked by Moscow.

Plausible

Evgeny Podkletnov claims to have developed a device which reduces the pull of gravity.

Other scientists have reacted with scepticism, but Boeing believes the science is plausible.

The Boeing interest was revealed in a briefing document obtained by the Jane's Defence Weekly publication.

The American company has its own internal project called GRASP - Gravity Research for Advanced Space Propulsion - exploring so-called propellentless propulsion.

Weapons system

Mr Podkletnov is also working on the subject and his experiments could not only aid civilian air and space travel but also be used to develop a weapons system.

Attempts by Boeing to work with Dr Podkletnov have so far been thwarted by the Russian government.

A Boeing spokesman said: "We have conducted tests on a number of anti-gravity devices. These devices do not actually break the laws of physics.

"We feel there is a basic science that exists for all this. We are trying to engineer the science in a way that produces something workable. It could help produce a transport system that works without fuel, or produce spacecraft."