We lesser beings would be happy with an inch more legroom in airline coach sections, Delft University of Technology (Berlin) student Justus Benad dreamt bigger. Way bigger. He conjured up the Flying-V airliner as a future airplane that would cut down on CO2 emissions by up to 20% thanks to its radical shape. The engineering team at Delft is working on development thanks to research funding by Dutch airliner KLM. Though it’s only a rendering right now, the plan is to actually build the Flying-V, so named for the Gibson electric guitar with the same shape. Not only does the new plane unify fuselage and wings to contribute to lift and aerodynamics, but the new shape will also allow designers to rethink the interior cabin layout and utility. Later this year, the team at U Delft will fly a scale model, and the hope is that the Flying-V will hit the skies as a functional airliner with 314-passenger capacity in the year 2040. It might be too early to make reservations now.
Flying-V Airliner Concept
