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Science Boeing Blended-wing Experimental Aircraft Ready to Take Flight
Brandon Hill (Blog) - March 15, 2007 11:31 AM

60 comment(s) - last by timmiser.. on Mar 17 at 1:03 AM

Boeing X-48B

SAX-40 Design Concept

Boeing's blended-wing design promises to increase fuel efficiency by 30%

Last year, DailyTech brought you a story on the X-48B blended-wing research jointly developed by the Air Force, Boeing and NASA. At the time, it was envisioned that the aircraft would make 25 test flights during 2007.

The X-48B now appears to be on the verge of making its maiden flight. The aircraft is currently sitting on the runway at Edwards Air Force Base.

The military is enthusiastic about the prospects of blended-wing aircraft which promised a 30% increase in fuel economy. "Blended-wing technology can cost-effectively fill many roles required by the Air Force," said Captain Scott Van-Hoogen of the Air Vehicles Directorate. Blended-wing designs would be beneficial in a number of military aircraft including in-flight refueling tankers and cargo planes.

Commercial airliners are also looking forward to blended-wing designs. A blended-wing SAX-40 concept aircraft put forth by MIT and Cambridge University is projected to achieve 124 passenger miles per gallon as opposed to 100 for a traditional Boeing 777 while also drastically reducing noise pollution.

While the fuel economy aspect of the aircraft design may be much to brag about, there are still a number of design hurdles that engineers must clear before such a design could be used in commercial airliners. One is the challenge of pressurizing such a wide, flat area. The other is getting passengers to cope with sitting up to 25 seats inboard of the nearest window.

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Sweet

By SoCalBoomer on 3/15/2007 11:42:24 AM , Rating: 4

I've been looking forward to this - a real live step forward in aviation. Instead of just trying to figure out how to get a bigger fuselage, Boeing is launching a plane without one. . .

:D

RE: Sweet

By Martin Blank on 3/15/2007 11:50:42 AM , Rating: 5

Blended-wing designs have numerous hurdles to cross aside from proving their fuel efficiency. Structural integrity is harder to attain than with a cylindrical fuselage, some passengers may be uncomfortable being so far from the walls, and there are issues with how quickly passengers could be evacuated from such a plane, as the average distance from passenger to emergency exit as well as the complexity (for an emergency situation) of pathways from the center rows to an emergency exit will increase. There are those that are simply content to figure that you're dead in an airplane crash anyway (far from the truth, but they believe it), but the FAA is not content to allow for that, and will require that the plane can be evacuated within a set, relatively short timeframe.

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RE: Sweet

By mezman on 3/15/2007 2:13:12 PM , Rating: 2

All true. But still cool nonetheless. :)

All new techs have hurdles, but one never knows until they try. And the "they" in this case is Boeing.

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RE: Sweet

By MonkeyPaw on 3/15/2007 4:32:04 PM , Rating: 2

I often wonder how quickly they could evacuate a plane in an emergency anyway. At least half the people would probably try to bring their carry-ons with them!

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RE: Sweet

By nerdtalker on 3/15/2007 5:00:30 PM , Rating: 2

The solution to the "no windows for many" problem is simple; either put small windows in the ceiling above passengers, or use individual video screens and cameras along the fuselage to give people an actual view instead of the worthless view you get now with that tiny window.

Evacuation is the real problem; but there's no reason why a larger number of doors (or even ceiling hatches) located throughout the aircraft can't give the same person:exit ratio and efficiency you get already.

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RE: Sweet

By BlindZenDriver on 3/15/2007 8:03:47 PM , Rating: 2

"windows in the cieling" - you must be kidding. To see what - the sky or perhaphs stars at night? That view brings nothing - people want to see the earth for comfort. Similar a video screen won't help either.

And then there is the doors. Putting a door in a aircraft frame is not done just like that, it's a complicated weak point and you really don't want to many of those. Plus it's not just a door there has to be an emergency slide at each door.

And as for ceiling hatches - what good would that do? In an emergency you want to get away from the plane not on top of it to get a better view of the fire. Also do you want to put guard rails on top of the plane to stop people falling off?

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RE: Sweet

By cheetah2k on 3/15/2007 10:24:54 PM , Rating: 2

Ceiling hatches?? how about individual ejector seats!

LOL

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RE: Sweet

By miahallen on 3/15/2007 11:21:00 PM , Rating: 4

quote:
Similar a video screen won't help either.

I disagree. I recently flew with ANA from Tokyo to Hawaii, it was the first flight I have ever been on where they had a live video feed from the nose of the aircraft to the monitor in the back of the seat in front of me, it was incredible. They only activated it for takeoff and landing, but I would like to see this more, it was really cool to watch the departure and approach from the pilot's point of view!

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RE: Sweet

By BZDTemp on 3/16/2007 7:04:34 AM , Rating: 2

Video sure is cool but it's something very different if you only have video.

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RE: Sweet

By crazydrummer4562 on 3/15/2007 11:45:03 PM , Rating: 1

Your rhetoric sucks.

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RE: Sweet

By BZDTemp on 3/16/2007 7:03:18 AM , Rating: 2

? What do you mean?

If it's my English you don't like then I'm sorry but it is in fact my third language so try to read the meaning and not the words.

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RE: Sweet

By timmiser on 3/16/2007 1:43:11 AM , Rating: 2

quote:
And as for ceiling hatches - what good would that do? In an emergency you want to get away from the plane not on top of it to get a better view of the fire. Also do you want to put guard rails on top of the plane to stop people falling off?

\

Interesting you brought that up. Of crashes that do not kill because of impact, most of the rest of the deaths (on land) are the result of smoke and fire. Typically in landing and takeoff crashes, the plane will roll and the first thing that will go are the wings which of course is where they keep the fuel!

Anyway, once the wings are gone, you are left with a round tube and the chances of it stopping pefectly level are quite remote. If it stops on one side or the other or heavily tilted, your emergency exits on one side can't be opened because they are down against the ground and of course the other side is now on the ceiling! Leaving the only way to get out is through a rip in the fuselage which is usually where the fire is coming in. A ceiling hatch wouldn't be such a bad idea then but to do that, they would need to make a good number of them and like you said, there is the structual issues and the internal areas usually reserved for overhead baggage would have to be modified and therefore expensive.

As far as windows in the ceiling, I don't know, it could be a nice way to seperate your aircraft from the competition. Who all has a sunroof in their car??

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RE: Sweet

By BZDTemp on 3/16/2007 7:07:05 AM , Rating: 2

Interesting point about the exits being blocked due the plane body being on the side - however I do think that's more of an argument for the planes we have now since the new Boeing is not tube shaped so it's not likely to roll.

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RE: Sweet

By mikable on 3/16/2007 7:42:11 PM , Rating: 2

I like the idea of individual video screens and cameras they could either watch the view, or some on demand video.

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RE: Sweet

By FITCamaro on 3/15/2007 11:58:19 AM , Rating: 3

Would these planes offer more room for passengers than traditional aircraft? They make mention of seating passengers in rows 25 seats wide. I wouldn't mind this as long as each seat was separated from those next to it by even a foot. But crawling across 11 seats in a typical coach class would suck. And I wouldn't think they'd want to have like 6-8 rows in the plane.

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RE: Sweet

By spindoc on 3/15/2007 12:13:52 PM , Rating: 2

The job of the attendant would be quite difficult without aisleways. Sure they could throw headphones and pillows over 12 seats but what about hot food and drinks?

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RE: Sweet

By Brandon Hill

(blog) on 3/15/2007 12:15:12 PM , Rating: 5

Ever been to a baseball game? :-)

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RE: Sweet

By mezman on 3/15/2007 2:14:11 PM , Rating: 2

Pressurized hoses! :)

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RE: Sweet

By rklaver on 3/15/2007 2:30:41 PM , Rating: 2

vacuum tubes!

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RE: Sweet

By techfuzz on 3/15/2007 2:48:25 PM , Rating: 2

quote:
vacuum tubes!

Like the ones at banks :)

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RE: Sweet

By Whedonic on 3/15/2007 5:17:40 PM , Rating: 2

greased hamsters!

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RE: Sweet

By cheetah2k on 3/15/2007 10:26:39 PM , Rating: 2

So long as the toilets are larger for those Mile High club experiences!

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RE: Sweet

By Samus on 3/16/2007 12:14:14 AM , Rating: 2

right on brother.

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RE: Sweet

By creathir on 3/15/2007 6:00:47 PM , Rating: 1

ROWs Seat
--------------------------------------------

1 LMN
2 KLMNO
3 J KLMNO P
4 IJ KLMNO PQ
5 HIJ KLMNO PQR
6 GHIJ KLMNO PQRS
7 FGHIJ KLMNO PQRST
8 E FGHIJ KLMNO PQRST U
9 DE FGHIJ KLMNO PQRST UV
10 CDE FGHIJ KLMNO PQRST UVW
11 BCDE FGHIJ KLMNO PQRST UVWX
12 ABCDE FGHIJ KLMNO PQRST UVWXY
13 ABCDE FGHIJ KLMNO PQRST UVWXY
14 ABCDE FGHIJ KLMNO PQRST UVWXY
15 ABCDE FGHIJ KLMNO PQRST UVWXY
16 BCDE FGHIJ KLMNO PQRST UVWX
17 CDE FGHIJ KLMNO PQRST UVW
18 DE FGHIJ KLMNO PQRST UV
19 E FGHIJ KLMNO PQRST U
20 FGHIJ KLMNO PQRST

With 4 aisles, it would not be a big deal at all. Even exiting the plane would be simple. Especially if around row 12-13 you put a bulk head and cross aisle, with exit doors on each side of the craft, exiting would be really easy. It would take no longer than exiting a 747 or 777.

I'd want the seats that sit by themselves... ;)

- Creathir

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RE: Sweet

By creathir on 3/15/2007 6:10:11 PM , Rating: 2

My ASCII art was lost...
Here is the best I could get...

ROWs............Seat
--------------------------------------------

1........................ LMN
2...................... KLMNO
3....................J KLMNO P
4...................IJ KLMNO PQ
5.................HIJ KLMNO PQR
6...............GHIJ KLMNO PQRS
7............. FGHIJ KLMNO PQRST
8...........E FGHIJ KLMNO PQRST U
9.........DE FGHIJ KLMNO PQRST UV
10.....CDE FGHIJ KLMNO PQRST UVW
11...BCDE FGHIJ KLMNO PQRST UVWX
12.ABCDE FGHIJ KLMNO PQRST UVWXY
13.ABCDE FGHIJ KLMNO PQRST UVWXY
14.ABCDE FGHIJ KLMNO PQRST UVWXY
15.ABCDE FGHIJ KLMNO PQRST UVWXY
16...BCDE FGHIJ KLMNO PQRST UVWX
17.....CDE FGHIJ KLMNO PQRST UVW
18........DE FGHIJ KLMNO PQRST UV
19..........E FGHIJ KLMNO PQRST U
20............ FGHIJ KLMNO PQRST

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RE: Sweet

By Samus on 3/16/2007 12:13:20 AM , Rating: 2

I agree, it must be the coolest looking aircraft I've ever seen. It definately beats out my previous favorite, the Battlestar Galactica...lolz

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25 seats across?

By Spivonious on 3/15/2007 12:20:15 PM , Rating: 2

Man, and I think the current 3-5-3 design is bad enough. There are those who don't like window seats, and I'm sure it would be quieter in the center, but I think that for long flights people will start to experience some form of claustrophobia. Maybe put skylights in?

RE: 25 seats across?

By corduroygt on 3/15/2007 12:57:44 PM , Rating: 2

They'll just have to make it 3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3

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RE: 25 seats across?

By giantpandaman2 on 3/15/2007 4:22:02 PM , Rating: 2

Movie theater seating, not a big deal. Heck, think of the front of the plane as a screen/stage and you almost have a natural theater type situation.

The real difficulty, I think, is the wider the walls are apart the more the ceiling will feel too low. Standing in a very large room with an 8' ceiling feels weird. While standing in a normal sized room with an 8' ceiling won't make you think twice. Maybe segment the main body space into many smaller rooms? Families with kids in one "room." Families with babies in another. There's lots of ways you could split up a plane like that.

Or, which I find more likely, 1st/business class getting the sides of the airplane with the windows, and coach getting stuck in the center, separated by walls.

Inevitably, though, the BWB design gives you tons of options, and that's something that one can't emphasize enough compared to the traditional cigar design.

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RE: 25 seats across?

By Janooo on 3/15/2007 5:31:22 PM , Rating: 2

Rooms are a good idea. Some kind of ULDs (Unit Loading Devices) for 10-20 people with large OLED displays projecting outside view. Each one of them would have own kitchen and washroom. No crew required.
In an emergency situation ULDs would be 'dumped' and parachute would land them safely.
Some fiction wouldn't hurt :-)

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RE: 25 seats across?

By timmiser on 3/17/2007 1:03:42 AM , Rating: 2

I want to be in the party room.

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RE: 25 seats across?

By Whedonic on 3/15/07, Rating: 0

RE: 25 seats across?

By dcpizzle on 3/15/07, Rating: 0

RE: 25 seats across?

By lumbergeek on 3/15/2007 1:41:52 PM , Rating: 2

I think I'd feel less claustrophobic (if I had that problem) and a "room" of seats rather than in a cigar tube. in-skin cameras and LCD screens could give the "effect" of window seats everywhere - if you just want to look outside you select the camera you want to watch on your 12" seat-back screen. I would love to have a downward-angle nose camera for instance.

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RE: 25 seats across?

By TSS on 3/15/2007 3:59:44 PM , Rating: 2

i'd propose a different concept: instead of room to the sides, why not increase the space between rows infront of the passengers? large enough to ride carts through and stuff, and i dont know but i feel more tendancy to be claustrofobic when i have no room infront of me instead of next to me.

or put up a very large screen infront of the plane and make it like a movie theatre. people have no problems sitting next to eachother in large rows in a movie theatre now do they? :P

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RE: 25 seats across?

By goku on 3/15/2007 6:09:26 PM , Rating: 2

If this design can improve fuel efficiency, what I'm now wondering is does it improve space capacity? Because if there is now more room on a plane compared to a similar 'tube' plane, then possibly (though unlikely) they could just make the seats larger and the overall area more spacious so people didn't feel so cramped and or would be more inclined to be ok with sitting in the middle.

I think what they really need to work on is making seating in the plane more comfortable, its such a mess at the moment that too many dread air travel and IMO thats not the way it should be.

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Airbus Position

By cpeter38 on 3/15/2007 12:16:31 PM , Rating: 2

I would be very interested to know what Airbus' official position is. I have heard that there is some VERY heavy behind the scenes lobbying (with respect to the "standards") ...

RE: Airbus Position

By therealnickdanger on 3/15/2007 1:36:49 PM , Rating: 2

Airbus is still around? lawl

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RE: Airbus Position

By lumbergeek on 3/15/2007 1:45:09 PM , Rating: 2

I believe Airbus' position on this is "trailing badly"

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RE: Airbus Position

By Spivonious on 3/15/2007 2:25:14 PM , Rating: 2

lol

Yeah, didn't they just lose their contract with Delta, or some other major airline?

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RE: Airbus Position

By techfuzz on 3/15/2007 2:49:17 PM , Rating: 2

Continental I believe.

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RE: Airbus Position

By FITCamaro on 3/15/2007 4:36:29 PM , Rating: 1

All freight orders for the A380 have been cancelled to the tune of about $15-20 billion.

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2030?

By wonkman on 3/15/2007 1:15:32 PM , Rating: 4

... with commercial flights possible by 2030.

Oh good, I can watch the take-offs from the window of my nursing home.

RE: 2030?

By lumbergeek on 3/15/2007 1:43:51 PM , Rating: 2

Unless you're a Chuck Yeager, these things take time.

I wish I was a Chuck Yeager.....

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RE: 2030?

By mezman on 3/15/2007 2:16:29 PM , Rating: 2

Who do you think would win in a fight between Chuck Yeager and Chuck Norris?

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RE: 2030?

By mjcutri on 3/15/2007 2:28:54 PM , Rating: 2

Chuck Norris would definitely win... if he could catch Yeager :)

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Seating

By INeedCache on 3/15/2007 5:04:02 PM , Rating: 2

You have to believe that whatever they come up with as far as seating is concerned, people will still be crammed in with little leg room and not much space in between. The name of the game is money, and the more people they can cram in the more profit potential there is. I really doubt passenger comfort is very high on the list. I'm 6'4" and weigh 200 lb, and I hate flying coach because it's just too cramped. And since first class doesn't come cheap and I'm not oozing with money, I only fly when I absolutely have to.

RE: Seating

By Chernobyl68 on 3/15/2007 5:46:25 PM , Rating: 2

I agree totally...aircraft seating is worse than what is found on a bus! If they had modern theater-size seating (new standards on seat width and leg room) flying wouldn't be such a chore. Of course, we'd still have the TSA... :)

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RE: Seating

By Martin Blank on 3/15/2007 7:09:50 PM , Rating: 2

Are you willing to pay the roughly 45% more to accommodate such seats? That $300 fare becomes nearly $450, and possibly higher as there are precious few extra slots available as it is.

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RE: Seating

By Zoomer on 3/15/2007 8:06:06 PM , Rating: 2

You don't have to, the article quotes a 25% improvement in fuel effeciency. So, with the current fuel prices, that roughly translates to a 12.5% reduction in flight cost. That 12.5% could go to increased profit with increased seating, or it could provide 12% more space. Which is quite a lot. Think 30 inch seat pitch. 12% of that is an extra 3.6 inches.

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RE: Seating

By otispunkmeyer on 3/16/2007 5:12:34 AM , Rating: 2

fly virgin, its alittle more dough, but in economy their seats have more spacing so its just that little bit more comfy for a tall guy. im 6ft 3 and not quite as heavy but i definately had the best comfort experience on virgin.

the worst was delta. the guy infront might as well of been sat in my lap.

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sitting 25 feet from a window?

By Comdrpopnfresh on 3/15/2007 1:58:20 PM , Rating: 2

Big deal, the damned windows are so small, unless your sitting in the row right next to one you can't see out of it anyhow. You could always just put cameras in the exterior and relay information to lcds for the people if it bothers them that much.

RE: sitting 25 feet from a window?

By michal1980 on 3/15/2007 2:42:34 PM , Rating: 2

have the suit-case compartment in the middle, along with bath rooms, and all the service areas. thereby pushing all the passangers out to the edge of the plane and closer to the windows. also seems like with 25 wide seating it seems like it would carry alot of people.

so 1st class sleeping rooms could also be in the middle, where it would be easier to have a darker/quiter area.

It would also allow for easier seating becasue you can have 2 serprate seating areas...

As for light/windows, with a flatter roof line, maybe its time for some sky-lights.

if boeing reads this and adobts any desgin element from it, I retain any and all owner ship of the idea.

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RE: sitting 25 feet from a window?

By soydios on 3/15/2007 4:33:57 PM , Rating: 2

^^^
I like that idea.

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Night over water...

By GTaudiophile on 3/15/2007 4:01:01 PM , Rating: 2

You think if it landed intact on the water's surface the entire plane could be used as a giant life raft with everyone on top?

RE: Night over water...

By Zoomer on 3/15/2007 8:03:17 PM , Rating: 2

That's assuming it floats.

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RE: Night over water...

By INeedCache on 3/16/2007 3:40:03 PM , Rating: 2

A telescoping-type oar could be located under each seat.

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Alternative interior layout

By ninjit on 3/15/2007 12:17:29 PM , Rating: 1

Instead of packing passengers across the width, they could maintain a cylindrical central fuselage (that would be pressurized), and have 2 floors of passengers with seating arrangements akin to today.
Emergency exits could be maintained in a similar fashion to today, with above wing and below wing portals for both floors.
The extra space afforded in the blended wing areas can then be used for cargo/luggage storage space that was replaced by the extra passengers in the main fuselage.

I also think it would be really cool to have downward facing windows for the lower passenger area.

RE: Alternative interior layout

By stromgald on 3/15/2007 12:59:36 PM , Rating: 2

What about the exterior layout? I think an aircraft like this will be extremely difficult to manage in the conventional airport system. Then again, if they've figured out how to squeeze in the A380 on a handful of airports, they can probably do the same for a blended wing design.

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