NASA, Boeing Release New Image of Experimental X-66

The sustainable flight demonstrator in production could slash aircraft fuel consumption and reduce emissions by nearly a third, according to NASA.

Kimberly Johnson

Thursday, March 07, 2024 at 12:40 PM ET

Verified

Artist’s concept of the X-66 aircraft that Boeing will produce through NASA’s Sustainable Flight Demonstrator project. [Courtesy: NASA]

Key Takeaways:

Boeing is developing the X-66 experimental aircraft for NASA's sustainable flight demonstrator project, aiming to achieve net-zero aviation emissions by 2050.
The X-66 features a distinctive Transonic Truss-Braced Wing (TTBW) design, projected to reduce fuel consumption and emissions by up to 30 percent.
Based on a modified MD-90 platform, production work began in August 2023 at Boeing's Palmdale facility.
Flight testing for the demonstrator aircraft is anticipated to commence in 2028, informing a new generation of sustainable single-aisle aircraft.

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Boeing has shared its latest vision of sustainable aviation with a new rendering of the X-66, an experimental aircraft it is building through NASA’s sustainable flight demonstrator project.

The aircraft, which is based on a modified McDonnell Douglas MD-90 platform, features diagonal struts, known as Transonic Truss-Braced Wing (TTBW) concept. It’s a distinctive design that, when paired with advancements in propulsion and systems architecture, could slash fuel consumption and emissions by up to 30 percent, according to the space agency.

NASA, Boeing Release New Image of Experimental X-66

The sustainable flight demonstrator in production could slash aircraft fuel consumption and reduce emissions by nearly a third, according to NASA.

Key Takeaways:

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