NASA and Boeing’s collaboration on the sustainable transonic truss-braced wing demonstrator is officially designated as the X-66A by the U.S. Air Force. The project is under NASA’s Integrated Aviation Systems Program, and key focus is on developing new sustainable aviation technologies. This means a sustainable aircraft design has joined the league of famous X-planes and shows commitment to Net-Zero carbon emissions.
The aircraft has a configuration known as “Transonic Truss-Braced Wing” and will be a single-aisle aircraft. This class of aircraft constitutes a major chunk of global air travel, and improving fuel economy and sustainability in this class will be significant for global emission reduction. Boeing proposed this concept and jointly investigated it with NASA for a couple of years. Recent decisions indicate that configuration has shown promising results; hence, it was selected for joint development of a technology demonstrator under a public-private partnership with Boeing.
The Air Force assigned the X-plane designation after both NASA and Boeing announced the flight demonstration this year. “The X-66A will help shape the future of aviation, a new era where aircraft are greener, cleaner, and quieter, and create new possibilities for the flying public and American industry alike,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson.
For further information, visit NASA’s Integrated Aviation Systems Program page.
