Students at Cranfield University have presented their designs for a new family of air-to-air refueling aircraft.

In-flight refueling is not a new idea, and attempts to design safe air-to-air tankers were made as early as 1923.

But students at Cranfield University have developed the MRT7-T family of aircraft, which includes a new air refueling tanker designed to provide all-weather services for military aircraft, including uninhabited air vehicles, as well as civilian airliners.

Students were tasked with exploring the possibilities that could give both the armed forces and civil airplanes a cost-effective option in a rapidly changing world.

Their presentation on Thursday covered cabin layout, fuel systems, propulsion, landing gear, avionics and structural design of the MRT7-T family.

Phil Stocking, course director and senior lecturer at Cranfield University, said: "The project work undertaken by the students provides an excellent mechanism for the teaching and learning of aircraft design. This enables innovative research to take place such as the concept of air-to-air refueling of civil aircraft.

"The work undertaken by the students demonstrates that air to air refueling of civil airliners has many challenges, but the environmental benefits on long haul routes can be significant."

The presentation was attended by 200 guests from industry, the military and academia. Representatives from the major manufacturers such as EADS, Boeing and Airbus were also present.

Cranfield has been at the forefront of aerospace technology for over 60 years. And last year students presented their concept for an environmentally-benign airliner, the A6.