PARIS, FRANCE — American aircraft manufacturer outlines Transonic Truss-Braced Wing, Boeing's game-changing innovation for the Next-Gen Aircraft.
The CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Stan Deal, acknowledged on Sunday that the aviation giant is giving serious thought to integrating a unique innovation, the Transonic Truss-Braced Wing (TTBW), in its next-gen aircraft slated for service by the mid-to-late 2030s. The TTBW, a product of Boeing's joint development with NASA, represents a novel airframe configuration.
Despite recent concentration on rectifying persistent quality concerns and resolving supply chain shortages that hinder production escalation, Boeing has now turned its attention to this once-futuristic concept. "We have to look towards the future," Deal stated.
Airbus, on the other hand, during a simultaneous press event in Paris, revealed a slew of preliminary research endeavors into novel wings and other advancements. However, Sabina Klauke, Airbus' Chief Technical Officer, didn't single out any innovation as primed for imminent deployment, unlike Deal's suggestion about the TTBW.
This groundbreaking design, if implemented, would redefine the aesthetics of airliners. Boeing, according to Deal, is already in the advanced stages of evaluating this new airframe design, a sentiment echoed by Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun earlier this month, who hinted at the possible use of TTBW in the forthcoming all-new jet.
The proposed aircraft boasts elongated, sleek wings mounted high on the fuselage, supported by trusses or struts originating from the fuselage base and extending upwards to the wing. With fuel efficiency and carbon emission reduction becoming paramount, especially in Europe, these wings, offering 20% better fuel efficiency, could be game-changing.
Boeing's next major project milestone involves transforming an old MD-90 airframe into a full-scale TTBW prototype, expected to take flight in 2028. The Air Force has designated the TTBW as the X-66A, an official X-plane earmark for groundbreaking strides in aviation. Boeing and industry collaborators will invest $725 million into the project, with an additional $425 million coming from NASA.
Boeing, having conducted comprehensive analysis and wind tunnel tests of scaled-down TTBW models, plans to conduct full-scale flight tests to corroborate the data. Deal added that simultaneous research into novel advanced materials, a high-volume production system, and digital modeling in design and production are all underway.
When queried about Airbus' plans regarding such a groundbreaking airframe concept, Klauke indicated that Airbus continually conducts extensive research, focusing on new materials, wings, and varied engine concepts. However, she gave no indication of imminent European X-plane development. Nevertheless, should Boeing's 2028 test flight program validate the TTBW technology, it is likely Airbus would pursue its own variant.
