Boeing has revealed a concept for more aerodynamic and fuel-efficient wings.
The lightweight and extremely thin wing concept is called the Transonic Truss-Braced Wing, and it is being developed in a collaborative effort with NASA.
The lightweight wings measure 170 feet from end-to-end. Thus, the truss, which supports the extended length.
According to the company, the new design can fly at Mach 0.80, about a 13 percent improvement from previous concepts. Boeing says the new design will also be able to fly higher than previous designs.
The new changes resulted from extensive wind tunnel testing at the NASA Ames Research Center.
NASA and Boeing have been working on the project as part of the Subsonic Ultra Green Aircraft Research (SUGAR) program for the better part of a decade. The work hopes to significantly reduce noise and emissions in aircraft while improving performance.
