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MIT's 'Double Bubble' and 'Hybrid Wing' Airplanes Offer Green Alternative

by Caleb Johnson on May 19, 2010 at 06:00 PM

MIT's Green Airplanes
In the near future, commercial airplanes could see a total design overhaul. It's a necessity since air travel, as Boing Boing points out, should double in frequency by 2035.

As part of a $2.1 million research contract with NASA, MIT recently unveiled two new commercial airplane designs that could lead to more efficient and cheaper travel. The 180-passenger D ("double bubble") series and the 350-passenger H ("hybrid wing body") series could be 70-percent more fuel efficient than Boeing's 737 and 777, which are used for domestic and international flights, respectively. The planes would be much quieter and emit less nitrogen oxide than current commercial aircraft. MIT engineers moved the engines from the plane's wings to the rear of the fuselage. This configuration lets the engines take in the slower moving air from the plane's wake, essentially allowing them to use less fuel while producing the same amount of thrust.

Unfortunately, this design also puts more stress on the engines, and replacing the commercial aircraft fleet currently in operation is no quick task. For now, MIT is still waiting for NASA's go-ahead to continue research. Keep fingers crossed that these cost-saving concepts one day become reality, since flying today damages both the environment and bank accounts. [From: MIT News, via: Boing Boing]

Tags: airplane, design, double bubble, DoubleBubble, flight, green, greentech, hybrid wing body, HybridWingBody, mit, nasa, top, transportation, travel

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