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

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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, showcasing a distinctive Transonic Truss-Braced Wing (TTBW) design.
This innovative design, combined with propulsion advancements, aims to reduce fuel consumption and emissions by up to 30 percent, contributing to net-zero aviation goals by 2050.
Based on a modified MD-90 platform, the X-66 is currently in production, with flight testing anticipated to begin in 2028 to inform future 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.