MIT Designs Aircraft That Uses 70% Less Fuel Than Conventional Planes

greenrainbow writes "Today a team of researchers at MIT unveiled their design for an airplane that uses 70% less fuel than conventional aircraft. The MIT design comes thanks to a NASA-funded initiative to increase fuel efficiency, lower emissions, and allow planes to take off on shorter runways. The team accomplished all of NASA's set goals with their innovative D-series plane, lovingly referred to as the 'double bubble,' which has thinner, longer wings and a smaller tail, and engine placement at the rear of the plane instead of on the wings."

Comments

Intrigued to know more

[ICLKennyG]

I wonder how the seating configurations are for these planes. There is no scale provided so you wonder what they are calculating on, is it fuel per mile per passenger? Anything else would be irrelevant.

Re:Intrigued to know more

[AnonymousClown]

Seating is usually dictated by the individual airline that buys the planes. Rest assured that all of the US based carriers will cram as many seats in as possible so even a little guy like me - 5' 7" 155lbs - will feel cramped.

Of course, when the airlines get these, there will be a "green" fee, a "designed by MIT" fee and an "environmental feel good" fee added onto your ticket price along with all the junk fees.

Re:hmmm

[Wyatt Earp]

The extra distance would also cost fuel, more fuel, more weight, fewer paying passengers, lower profits and now that route isn't viable, more time in the air, more maintenance and less total life on the airframe.