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And in January Boeing snared a contract from on the concept under NASA’s Environmentally Responsible
NASA for what could be its all-new aircraft, Aviation programme.
the Transonic Truss-Braced Wing (TTBW)
demonstrator aircraft. The technologies to A yearlong flight-test campaign is planned to begin at NASA
be demonstrated and tested as part of the Armstrong Flight Research Centre, California, in 2028.
Sustainable Flight Demonstrator (SFD) pro-
gramme will inform future designs and could Two models are planned the 130-160 seat VS-1 and 180-210
lead to breakthrough aerodynamics and fuel seat VS-2 based on the MD-90 fuselage. The TTBW is a long
efficiency gains. Boeing claims that when way from the aircraft Boeing was gearing up to launch in 2019
combined with expected advancements in – the 797 – a twin-aisle 228-267 seat replacement for the 757
propulsion systems, materials and systems and lower end of the 767 market. In late in 2019 analysts were
architecture, a single-aisle aircraft with a forecasting a launch of what was then termed the New Midsize
TTBW configuration could reduce fuel con- Aircraft (NMA or 797), although there was a qualification that
sumption and emissions up to 30 per cent the MAX issues had to be addressed first. Delta Air Lines CEO Ed
relative to today’s most efficient single-aisle Bastian told Bloomberg that his airline wants 200 of the 797s to
aircraft, depending on the mission and that replace its 757 and 767s. Qantas CEO Alan Joyce said, “Boeing
is the sort of gain that prompts billions of would be mad not to launch the 797.”
investment dollars.
The massive appeal of the 797s was to be its passenger cross-sec-
The SFD programme aims to advance the civil tion of 2-3-2 with huge overhead luggage bins which would put
aviation industry’s commitment to reaching an end to the economy crush. Boeing defined two versions – the
net zero carbon emissions by 2050, as well NMA-6 (797-6) with 228-passenger, 4,500nm (8,300km) and the
as the goals set forth in the White House’s NMA-7 (797-7) which would seat 267 in two classes with 4,200nm
U.S. Aviation Climate Action Plan. At the time range. The company saw a market of about 5,000 planes over
of the announcement Greg Hyslop, Boeing‘s 20 years. But others suggest upwards of 7,000 with the potential
chief engineer and executive vice president for the aircraft to make 30,000 city pairs viable. Boeing and its
of Engineering, Test & Technology said that legacy company, McDonnell Douglas, both touted a similarly
“the SFD programme has the potential to sized aircraft – 7J7 and ATMR – as early as 1980. However, at
make a major contribution toward a sustain- the time aircraft seating was more spacious and passenger’s
able future and it represents an opportunity carry-on very limited and airlines couldn’t make the business case.
to design, build and fly a full-scale experi-
mental plane, while solving novel technical Today passenger seating is more cramped and the demand for
problems.” NASA’s funding through the SFD overhead space far greater than a typical single aisle allows.
Space Act Agreement totals US$425 million The post COVID reality however is economy, the environment
and the programme will also leverage up to and production stability and quality. With the 737 MAX 7, MAX
US$725 million in funding by Boeing and its 10 and 777X to be certified with significant rework for the latter
industry partners to shape the demonstra- and when you add the ramp up in production the aerospace
tor programme and meet the resource needs giant has significant engineering challenges for the next few
required. The programme is not new with years. Perhaps when the 777X enters service it might be time to
Boeing having spent the last decade working sharpen the focus on the next big thing from Boeing.

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