Boeing and NASA have partnered on the Sustainable Flight Demonstrator project to produce a single-aisle aircraft with a truss-braced wing concept which aims to reduce fuel consumption by 30% compared to current commercial aircraft.
The design is not a radical departure from current planes and would allow for a wider range of propulsion systems. The project has a total investment of $1.15 billion with NASA investing $425 million and other partners investing $725 million.
The full-scale demonstrator is expected to be completed in the late 2020s, with a potential commercial rollout in the 2030s. The design is only one part of the puzzle towards sustainable air travel and requires additional improvements in lighter materials, better aerodynamics, and cleaner propulsion systems.