Important Innovations

 Flying-V:  Fuel Efficient Alternative to Long Haul Jets Source:  The Flying-V  TU Deflt Concept and Scale Model KLM and Delft Technical University New Concept A new aircraft, the Flying-V, is a look at the exciting future of flying.  A scale model of the experimental aircraft just took flight from a military base in Germany.  The aircraft has huge wings and is designed in a V configuration.  The blended wing concept is the invention of Delft Technical University (TU Delft) of the Netherlands, funded by KLM Airlines and assisted by a support team from Airbus. Radical New Design The flying-V is a fuel efficient, long range aircraft designed as an alternative to traditional jumbo jets.  It gets 20% better fuel efficiency than a traditional Airbus A350 jet, which is today's most advanced aircraft design.  Passenger seats, baggage and fuel tanks are all built into the wings.  When full scale, it will have the capacity to hold 314 passengers.  It is 15% more aerodynamically efficient th

Flying Innovation with Greater Fuel Efficiency - Aviation Futures Source:  NASA Prototype BWB plane Blended Wing Body Aircraft This is aviation innovation being developed globally.  The plane architecture is called BWB or Blended Wing Bodies.  It's also being developed as Hybrid Wing Bodies.  No doubt it is potentially revolutionary innovation.  It's a fixed winged aircraft with no distinction between the wing and body and it can have a tail or not.  Bottom-line: it can save significant fuel usage. Prototype Concepts Under Development The potential advantages of this type of new aircraft include efficient high lift wings and could include a wide airfoil shaped body.  The blended wing body can have a lift to drag ratio much greater than conventional planes.  That would result in much greater fuel efficiency. Global Competition and Interest There are a lot of defense contractors, governments and global universities working to bring this technology to market.  It in