Boeing and Nasa are developing an innovative plane that could be part of its lineup in the coming decade. This conceptual plan has been in development for 15 years and is anticipated to reduce drag and fuel burn. Additionally, the plane offers extra-long, thin wings stabilized by diagonal struts attached to the bottom of the plane’s fuselage.
The plane's new design and improvements to engine technology is anticipated to reduce fuel consumption and emissions by approximately 30%, comparatively to the Boeing’s 737 Max and Airbus SE’s A320neo.
Such gains would meet the “standard needed to launch a commercial airplane,” stated Dave Calhoun, Boeing’s Chief Executive Officer.
“The program that we’ve embarked on here is how do you commercialize it?” stated Calhoun. “There’s real intent there to be able to do it.”
Boeing anticipates flying a full-scale prototype of the single-aisle jet later this decade, the size makes it a potential replacement to the 737 Max.
Last week, NASA awarded Boeing $425 million to help create a new generation of greener jetliners ready to enter the commercial market in the 2030s. Boeing and its partners will provide another $725 million.
The plane is known as the “transonic truss-braced wing” within Boeing and “will definitely have a role to play someday in the narrowbody world,” stated Calhoun.
