New Look at Sustainable Experimental Airliner

Credit: NASA

A new look at X-66 Sustainable Experimental Airliner released by NASA and Boeing.

As NASA and Boeing team up to create the X-66, the first X-plane aimed at helping the US achieve net-zero aviation emissions by 2050, they’re already envisioning it gliding through the skies.

Credit: NASA

Boeing has unveiled a new design for the X-66, showcasing its distinctive long, slender wings supported by diagonal struts, known as the Transonic Truss-Braced Wing concept. Alongside advancements in propulsion, materials, and systems, this setup could cut fuel usage and emissions by up to 30% compared to current top-tier aircraft.

Credit: NASA

In the Sustainable Flight Demonstrator project, Boeing and NASA will collaborate to construct, test, and fly the full-scale X-66 prototype. The goal is to pave the way for a new era of environmentally friendly single-aisle planes, commonly used by passenger airlines worldwide. Last year, Boeing transported the MD-90 aircraft, which will serve as the foundation for the X-66, to its facility in Palmdale, California, where modifications are underway, including the removal of its engines.

Credit: NASA