The US Air Force has been experimenting with sustainable aviation fuel for many years, but with varying levels of success. However, they have recently designated a new aircraft project as an official X-plane, which is focused on significantly reducing fuel consumption by 30%. the project is being lead by Boeing and NASA.
X-plane is the name given by the Air Force to aircraft used to test and confirm new technologies. The Armstrong Flight Research Center in California has been the primary location for testing X-planes for several decades.
The latest US Air Force X-plane, is known as the X-66A, which will feature a new wing design called a Transonic Truss-Braced Wing (TTBW), this will help save fuel by reducing drag. This technology involves slightly tilting the ends of the wings upwards, and it is the 20th advancement in eco-friendly aircraft technology. The TTBW project aims to further enhance drag reduction across the entire wing.
NASA and Boeing have been working on improving TTBW technology for about a decade, and now they are prepared to create a full-sized version for a trial flight.
NASA revealed their funding strategy for the development and testing of the TTBW aircraft in January. The project will be quite expensive, with NASA investing $425 million over the next seven years and Boeing and its partners contributing an additional $725 million.
The X-plane project will not create a completely new environmentally-friendly aircraft, but it will develop technologies that can be used in other planes. Specifically, the project is using TTBW technology in single-aisle aircraft, which are commonly used by airlines.
NASA states that single-aisle aircraft, despite their seemingly modest impact, contribute nearly half of the total greenhouse gas emissions in the aviation industry due to their extensive utilization.
Boeing plans to modify an MD-90 single aisle jet at its facility in Palmdale, California. The MD-90 jet was originally developed by McDonnell Douglas before its merger with Boeing in 1997.
If the TTBW fuel-saving venture is successful, it will create a more cost-effective environment for sustainable aviation fuels. The Air Force believes that this technology will allow their aircraft to break free from expensive fossil fuels and inefficient supply chains.
Reference- Clean Technica, NASA website, Air Force Technology Magazine, Space.com, Interesting Engineering