Boeing unveils future wing design
As part of the Subsonic Ultra Green Aircraft Research program (SUGAR), Boeing and NASA have been busy working on a new futuristic wing design that will allow for faster, higher air travel, all while being super efficient.
The wing, which Boeing calls the Transonic Truss-Braced Wing (TTBW), will allow aircraft to fly at speeds of Mach 0.8, which is an increase compared to their original design boasting speeds of Mach 0.7-0.75.
Just like a glider, the wing would be ultra-long and thin – 51.9 meters (170ft) in length to be exact. However, because of the weight it would have to support, a modernized truss and sweep has been added to the design concept, which has been in the works for over a decade. Advancements in computer technology allowed for design refinements to be made after extensive wind tunnel testing.
Additionally, the use of T-tail design is said to provide “unprecedented aerodynamic efficiency while flying at Mach 0.8”. Specifically, Boeing states the new concept would reduce fuel burn by 60% compared to an aircraft from the early 2000s. The high wing alone unlocks more potential for engine technology, allowing for bigger engines with greater bypass ratios providing they aren’t too big to the point where its unnecessary drag.
Airbus and Boeing have been working behind closed doors on future aircraft advancements, primarily because of the increasing amount of environmental guidelines being applied to new aircraft. Starting from 2020, anyone wanting to build a completely new aircraft will have to adhere to a new global design standard. Anyone failing to meet the new standard will be forced to halt production until appropriate design and construction changes are made.
BLADE, which stands for Breakthrough Laminar Aircraft Demonstrator in Europe, is Airbus’ wing project, which aims at reducing wing friction by 50% and CO2 emissions by 5%. The first demonstrator took flight on an A340-300 (MSN001) flight lab in 2017, and from initial findings, proved to be an excellent step forward.
The following video published by Airbus outlines the BLADE Project. Additionally, there’s another short video for the maiden flight below:
Although the goal is to reduce fuel burn by as much as 5%, it’s important to remember that this is an early development. As technology progresses and more data is collected, Airbus can refine this figure more, just like how Boeing adjusted their TTBW concept.
What’s really caught people’s attention is Comac, a fairly new and ambitious manufacturer, is also working on a new aircraft design concept, and it’s very similar to Boeing’s.
Comac’s V1plus Truss-Braced Wing Demonstrator first flew in August of 2018 and proved to be a great success. Although a 1:10 scale model powered by electric motors, Comac intends to use the concept to build a “Middle of the Market” aircraft for their lineup of aircraft and perhaps others, seeing as there is a large gap between the C919 and CR929.
The design reduces weight by a considerable amount and features fight-like canards on the side of the nose, all contributing to a reduction in fuel burn and stability improvements that come from a new wing.
Competition is what drives the aviation industry, however, despite the fact that multiple aviation companies are working on future aircraft designs, they’re all working towards one thing: A cleaner planet. Whether you support the science or not, research conducted around the world has made it clear that we have to work as a team to reduce emissions and fuel burn. This is exactly what these and many other projects are aiming for.
Thank you for the response to my question. That’s sounds logical and reasonable but I was in doubt since there are models , although for another purpose, like the C-5, the A400 or the Avro jet that have the high wing design.
Thank you again for clarifying this to me.
where are they imagining the fuel might go?
Hi – This is fascinating — I love hearing about this kind of advancement — but I am confused by one thing: this wing is supposed to make flying faster, but current aircraft (like the A350, which per the following link apparently flies at Mach 0.89 https://www.aerospace-technology.com/projects/a350wxb/) already fly faster. Is this just an interim step? Does Boeing expect to get the speed closer to Mach 1 before they’re done?
I was pretty curious about the same thing. I’m in the process of doing more research about it now. The figure came from Boeing’s article they published. The only other thing I can think of its A) It may be optimal cruise speed or B) It’s for a smaller aircraft like the A320 which has a cruise speed of Mach 0.78 (0.82 MMO). I’ll get back to you and add to the article with my findings 🙂
I always wondered why commercial airplanes didn’t use a high wing design since is more stable than mid and lower wing design.
While high-wing designs (a la Cessna 172) are more stable, low-wing designs make it easier to incorporate a wide-track main landing gear. On the A380, for example, it appears one pair of struts descends from the inner wing, while another pair descends from the wing box. Would have been immensely difficult, I imagine, for the A380 to have employed a high-wing design. Being a double-decker, the A380 is an extreme example to illustrate the point, but similar issues would likely apply to midsize airliners as well (although to a lesser extent).