Sunday, September 12, 2010

Technology convergence

Recently, NASA awarded research contracts to six industry groups, challenging them to come up with an efficient "airliner of the future."

Here is Boeing's entry:


I think that the people at Boeing must all be glider pilots.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

That looks like a great design for flying around at 200 knots. I doubt a high aspect ratio, straight wing is very efficient at 400+ knots. Maybe, Boeing should fire their glider pilots.

Tim

Rick said...

The cool thing is that NASA paid them about a dollar per pixel to create that image.

Anonymous said...

and most of the pixels are blue

Anonymous said...

If you are flying high enough to see that much curve of the Earth, how fast is 200 kias? Answer: pretty fast! Just ask a U-2 pilot.

I like the 2-33 inspired wing struts. Can a nose skid be far behind?

However: I do not think we will need airliners in the future. They may still exist, but you won't be able to gain access to them on account of Dept. of "Homeland Security" procedures....

Anonymous said...

The other thing that "airliner" is going to need from a 2-33 is the tow hook! There is no conceivable way that two props of that size relative to that airframe are going to launch that thing.

-T8