MIT Reveals Plane to use 70% Less Fuel

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has revealed two new airplane designs this week, which they say may cut the use of fuel by 70% for the aviation industry, as well as deliver similar cuts in noise and air pollution. The designs had been presented to NASA last month by the faculty of the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics as part of a $2.1 million research program.

The MIT team was given the task of developing 2 new commercial aircraft designs as part of the project. Their goal was to create planes that will burn 70% less fuel, release 75% less nitrogen oxides and take off from significantly shorter runways.

One of the designs they came up with is being called the “double bubble” and has a 180-passenger capacity. It may be a good replacement for the Boeing 737, which is used a lot on short-haul flights. The second design is being called the “hybrid wing body” aircraft that can carry up to 350 passengers and may serve to replace the Boeing 777, which is widely used for international services.

Lead designer for the “double bubble” Mark Drela said the design will travel slower than the B737, but the repositioning of the engines at the back of the aircraft, along with reconfiguring the cross section and using longer wings, will greatly reduce drag, which will allow the engines to burn less fuel.

NASA’s target with this project to deliver designs that can be turned into commercial planes by 2035. It’s possible that one could be produced sooner, though it may only cut the use of fuel in half.