The X-66A is the X-plane specifically aimed at helping the United States achieve the goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
Boeing will work with NASA to modify an MD-90 aircraft, and build the X-66A, by shortening the fuselage and replacing its wings and engines.
The resulting demonstrator aircraft will have long, thin wings with engines mounted underneath and a set of aerodynamic trusses for support. The design, which Boeing submitted for NASA’s Sustainable Flight Demonstrator project, is known as a Transonic Truss-Braced Wing.
Credit NASA
The new X-plane seeks to inform a potential new generation of more sustainable single-aisle aircraft – the workhorse of passenger airlines around the world.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, said:
“At NASA, our eyes are not just focused on stars but also fixated on the sky. The Sustainable Flight Demonstrator builds on NASA’s world-leading efforts in aeronautics as well as climate. The X-66A will help shape the future of aviation, a new era where aircraft are greener, cleaner, and quieter, and create new possibilities for the flying public and American industry alike.”
Top Image credit NASA
The resultant demonstration aircraft will feature long wings that are relatively thin, with engines located beneath, and a system of aerodynamic trusses that will serve as the aircraft’s support structure.