Boeing is awarded a NASA
sustainable flight demonstrator contract
By
18 January 2023
·
NASA,
Boeing and partners aim to cut fuel use and emissions by up to 30% in
single-aisle aeroplanes
·
Advances
in sustainable technology are crucial to reaching civil aviation’s goal to be
net zero carbon emissions by 2050
NASA has selected Boeing and its industry team to
lead the development and flight testing of a full-scale Transonic Truss-Braced
Wing (TTBW) demonstrator aeroplane.
NASA
has selected Boeing and its industry team to lead the development and flight
testing of a full-scale Transonic Truss-Braced Wing (TTBW) demonstrator
aeroplane.
The technologies demonstrated and tested as part
of the Sustainable Flight Demonstrator (SFD) programme will inform future
designs and could lead to breakthrough aerodynamics and fuel efficiency gains.
When combined with expected advancements in
propulsion systems, materials and systems architecture, a single-aisle
aeroplane with a TTBW configuration could reduce fuel consumption and emissions
up to 30% relative to today’s most efficient single-aisle aeroplanes, depending
on the mission. The SFD programme aims to advance the civil aviation industry’s
commitment to reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050, as well as the goals
set forth in the White House’s U.S. Aviation Climate Action Plan.
“The SFD programme has the potential to make a
major contribution toward a sustainable future,” said Greg Hyslop, Boeing chief engineer and
executive vice president of Engineering, Test & Technology. “It represents an opportunity to
design, build and fly a full-scale experimental plane while solving novel
technical problems.”
Ultrathin wings braced by struts with larger spans
and higher-aspect ratios could eventually accommodate advanced propulsion
systems that are limited by a lack of underwing space in today’s low-wing
aeroplane configurations. For the demonstrator vehicle, Boeing will use
elements from existing vehicles and integrate them with all-new components.
NASA’s funding through the SFD Space Act Agreement
totals $425 million. The SFD programme will also leverage up to $725 million in
funding by Boeing and its industry partners to shape the demonstrator programme
and meet the resource needs required. Separately, Boeing’s previous internal investments
for recent phases of sustainable aviation research total $110 million.
The TTBW airframe concept is the result of more
than a decade of development supported by NASA, Boeing and industry
investments. Under previous NASA programmes including the agency’s Subsonic
Ultra Green Aircraft Research programme, Boeing conducted extensive wind tunnel
testing and digital modelling to advance the design of the TTBW. Early
conceptual studies started under NASA’s Environmentally Responsible Aviation
programme.
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