NASA's green X-plane

摘要

NASA AERONAUTICS is developing a full-scale airliner 'X-plane' to test new environmental technologies.The agency plans to solicit industry responses in early 2022 for preliminary designs of aircraft configurations that could be tested, with the potential for a first flight of the resulting technology demonstrator in 2026.One possible feature of the aircraft is a transonic truss-braced wing. With ultra-high efficiency long and slender wings, this configuration will demonstrate high-power hybrid-electric propulsion on a large transport aircraft to achieve greater aerodynamic efficiency and a 5-10% fuel burn reduction.The X-plane could also study a small core gas turbine engine, electrified propulsion and 'integrated trajectory optimisation' to reduce fuel burn and minimise contrail formation, a NASA illustration showed.