Boeing Co. won a NASA-backed contest to build a prototype of a new fuel-efficient jetliner that officials said the company aims to fly for the first time in 2028.
The aerospace giant plans to develop would install longer, thinner wings supported from below on a single-aisle fuselage, a design that officials said would cut down fuel needs. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration didn't reveal the names of competitors who participated in the competition, which was meant to kick-start the development of more environmentally friendly aircraft.
Boeing executives and NASA leaders described the plane as experimental, with multiple technical challenges to deal with before the inaugural demonstration flight several years from now. The planned jet won't be part of the lineup that Boeing makes and sells, executives from the company said.
In November, Boeing Chief Executive David Calhoun said he had pushed back plans for the company to create its own new plane until the 2030s.
Todd Citron, the Boeing technology chief, said that this is a good time to have confidence in technology to allow it to be considered for commercialization. He said that it would be the precursor for consideration of a commercial product, and the company is looking to see if the benefits match predictions for the plane. The aviation industry is facing mounting pressure from governments and airline customers to address its contribution to climate change, leading manufacturers to roll out strategies to try to mitigate emissions from planes.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said the agency created the competition because the private sector wasn't prepared to take on all of the risk. Boeing's planned jet is funded by a $425 million NASA contribution over seven years and $725 million from the company and its partners.
The planned Boeing jet's long, thin wings would be delicate and need support struts to reduce the stress where they join the body. Bob Pearce, an associate administrator at NASA, said that NASA and Boeing must study operational issues on the prototype jet, such as deicing wings and fueling the plane.
Other potential aircraft designs, such as so-called double bubbles, which combine two nearly round fuselages, also aim to improve fuel efficiency and lower emissions, mainly from reducing aerodynamic drag.
The military has used some unconventional approaches for planes to improve range and make them harder to detect, such as the new B- 21 bomber's blended-wing approach. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said last week he was looking at a prototype for a blended-wing transport aircraft.
Boeing hasn't developed an all-new plane since the 787 Dreamliner in the early 2000s, and Mr. Calhoun said emerging technology such as more efficient engines don't support the business case for one.
He said at an investor event in November that there ll be a moment in time when we ll introduce a new airplane and pull the rabbit out of the hat.
There are thousands of existing jetliners that have been on the market for more than a decade of production, as a result of the backlog of thousands of existing jetliners. Big aircraft buyers have said they support the goal of reducing the carbon footprint of aircraft, though some have questioned the economics of unconventional designs.