The Top Secret Boeing 797

101st Airborne · 03-19-2007, 18:37 PM

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They have kept this secret long enough.
This shot was taken last month by an amatuer photographer.

Boeing has been preparing a 1000 passenger jet that could reshape
the Air travel industry for the next 100 years. The radical Blended Wing design has been developed by Boeing in cooperation with the NASA Langley Research Center. The mammoth plane will have a wing span of 265 feet compared to the 747’s 211 feet, and is designed to fit within the newly created terminals used for the 555 seat Airbus A380, which is 262 feet wide. The new 797 is in direct response to the Airbus A380 which has racked up159 orders, but has not yet flown any passengers.

….There are several big advantages to the blended wing design, the most important being the lift to drag ratio which is expected to increase by an amazing 50%, with overall weight reduced by 25%, making it an estimated 33% more efficient than the A380, and making Airbus’s $13 billion dollar investment look pretty shaky. High body rigidity is another key factor in blended wing aircraft, it reduces turbulence and creates less stress on the
air frame which adds to efficiency, giving the 797 a tremendous 8800 nautical mile range with its 1000 passengers flying comfortably at mach .88 or 654 mph cruising speed (another advantage over the Airbus tube-and-wing designed A380’s
570 mph)

Bought to you by 101st Airborne PIR.

**Parihaka** · 03-19-2007, 19:21 PM

Not bad for an Aussie but you still need to brush up on your photoshop skills

glyn · 03-19-2007, 19:25 PM

The picture has been doing the rounds for some while now, and of course is an obvious fake. This 'future airliner' study was first undertaken at Cranfield (UK) in the 1970s as they believed the structural weight advantages of a blended wing would benefit commercial users more than the military. It has been kicking around other design studios but has so far not been developed even to the stage of a scaled 'proof-of-concept' vehicle'. I assume computer studies will have been undertaken long ago. The given cruising speed is somewhat suspect in my opinion.

xerxes · 03-19-2007, 20:06 PM

what is the city in the background: Sin City??

**Parihaka** · 03-19-2007, 20:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xerxes

what is the city in the background: Sin City??

Legoland

**TopHatter** · 03-19-2007, 20:36 PM

I've got a REAL picture of those planes, in the air!

No photoshopping at all, none whatsoever.

101st Airborne · 03-19-2007, 20:49 PM

Nice shot Top hatter.
I can't believe the reception we got from the doubters.
Thanks for adding it in.
Boeing has kept this one big secret. I guess it is out.

highsea · 03-19-2007, 20:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by glyn

...It has been kicking around other design studios but has so far not been developed even to the stage of a scaled 'proof-of-concept' vehicle'. I assume computer studies will have been undertaken long ago. The given cruising speed is somewhat suspect in my opinion.

Glyn, you might be interested to know that two scaled prototypes have been built by Cranfield under contract from the Phantom Works. The first one was scheduled to begin flight tests at Edwards in February, but I don't know if it has flown yet or not. I'll see if I can dig up some news.

Boeing X-48B

101st Airborne · 03-19-2007, 20:59 PM

Gee Highsea, I'm surprised that you admit this much. I guess it is more than your job is worth to reveal that they are actually advanced to flight testing the airliner.

highsea · 03-19-2007, 21:03 PM

Any day now...

Quote:

Radical new Boeing aircraft takes flight

The company's new blended-wing plane prepares for its first test, carrying with it the airline's hopes for fuel-saving planes.

By Benjamin Tice Smith, Business 2.0 Magazine
March 15 2007: 12:04 PM EDT

It would be a dream come true for the airline industry: A plane that uses up to 30 percent less gas to reach its destination, compared with today's jets.

That's the promise of the blended-wing, a radically new kind of aircraft set to take to the skies for the first time this month. Originally conceived by McDonnell Douglas and developed by NASA, the blended-wing merges fuselage and wings and eliminates the tail, reducing drag. That makes it vastly more fuel-efficient than regular "tube-and-wing" jets, according to Boeing engineer Norm Princen.

His X-48B blended-wing prototype, now on the runway at Edwards Air Force Base, is only about a 10th the size of the 240-foot-wingspan craft he hopes to build. But the Pentagon is watching keenly. "Blended-wing technology can cost-effectively fill many roles required by the Air Force," says Capt. Scott Van-Hoogen of the Air Vehicles Directorate. As a tanker, for example, it could refuel two planes in midair at the same time.

For now Boeing is focused on making a military version of the plane by 2022. But by 2030 blended-wing aircraft could be carrying commercial passengers. Last November a team from MIT and Cambridge University unveiled the SAX-40, a blended-wing design that promises to be more fuel-efficient than a Toyota Prius - and thanks in part to the engine placement, just as quiet (at 63 decibels).

These designs still have a bumpy ride before they'll be accepted by airlines: How to build a flat pressurized cargo hold is one challenge; another is asking passengers to sit 25 seats away from the window. Still, the rising costs of air travel may leave future road warriors with no choice but to blend into a blended-wing.

Boeing unveils a radically new kind of aircraft. - Mar. 13, 2007

highsea · 03-19-2007, 21:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 101st Airborne

Gee Highsea, I'm surprised that you admit this much. I guess it is more than your job is worth to reveal that they are actually advanced to flight testing the airliner.

I can't be fired, slaves have to be sold.

(actually I have my own shop now, which is even worse...)

101st Airborne · 03-19-2007, 21:11 PM

Thanks High sea. Interesting article.
Well the sectret is finally out. Boeing is flight testing the airliner.
Did you take that shot Top Hatter? Where was it?
Can't wait for this concept to become operational at airline level. I know Qantas are very interested.

Horrido · 03-19-2007, 21:51 PM

I've heard some statements to the effect that the blended-wing-body is problematic due to pressurisation, since the cabin would be flat, rather than a circle, and the internal cabin pressure would want to push against the belly and ceiling to create that circle, like it or not. Any info on that premise?

highsea · 03-19-2007, 21:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Horrido

I've heard some statements to the effect that the blended-wing-body is problematic due to pressurisation, since the cabin would be flat, rather than a circle, and the internal cabin pressure would want to push against the belly and ceiling to create that circle, like it or not. Any info on that premise?

That's true. There are still a lot of design hurdles to get over. Tubular fuses are easy to control the expansion, and a BWB is much more difficult. So you have to have a very stiff airframe, which means potential fatigue issues. We are still a long way from seeing the BWB as reality.

Even when we do, you still have to convince the passengers to ride in a flying auditorium, and the surveys among airline passengers lead one to conclude that it is not a popular concept with the flying public.

The first frames will probably be tankers/freighters/miltary transports, rather than commercial airliners.

101st Airborne · 03-19-2007, 22:15 PM

It is unlikely that the floorplan configeration will be like a great hall.
It is too dangerous, with too far for stuff to be flying around, not to mention people, if an emergency occured.
The floor plan would still be narrow seating areas in seperate cabins which will also allow for real class segregation and even private twin cabins.

03-19-2007, 19:21 PM	#2 (permalink)
Parihaka Moderator Join Date: 11-10-04 Location: Te Ika a Maui Posts: 9,680 Country:	Not bad for an Aussie but you still need to brush up on your photoshop skills __________________ In the realm of spirit, seek clarity; in the material world, seek utility. Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz

03-19-2007, 20:06 PM	#4 (permalink)
xerxes Padishah Shahanshah *Senior Contributor* Join Date: 01-23-07 Location: Canada Posts: 1,098 Country:	what is the city in the background: Sin City?? __________________ If we contrast the rapid progress of this mischievous discovery of gunpowder with the slow and laborious advances of reason, science, and the arts of peace, a philosopher, according to his temper, will laugh or weep at the folly of mankind. - Edward Gibbon

03-19-2007, 21:51 PM	#13 (permalink)
Horrido Staff Emeritus Chief Subversive Join Date: 08-04-03 Location: Secure, and undisclosed. Posts: 979	I've heard some statements to the effect that the blended-wing-body is problematic due to pressurisation, since the cabin would be flat, rather than a circle, and the internal cabin pressure would want to push against the belly and ceiling to create that circle, like it or not. Any info on that premise? __________________ The black flag is raised: Ban them all... Let the Admin sort them out. I know I'm going to have the last word... I have powers of deletion and lock.

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03-19-2007, 19:25 PM	#3 (permalink)
glyn Banished *Military Professional* Join Date: 09-15-06 Location: Penzance, Cornwall UK Posts: 6,886	The picture has been doing the rounds for some while now, and of course is an obvious fake. This 'future airliner' study was first undertaken at Cranfield (UK) in the 1970s as they believed the structural weight advantages of a blended wing would benefit commercial users more than the military. It has been kicking around other design studios but has so far not been developed even to the stage of a scaled 'proof-of-concept' vehicle'. I assume computer studies will have been undertaken long ago. The given cruising speed is somewhat suspect in my opinion.

03-19-2007, 20:49 PM	#7 (permalink)
101st Airborne Banished Regular Join Date: 03-17-07 Location: Australia Posts: 118 Country:	Nice shot Top hatter. I can't believe the reception we got from the doubters. Thanks for adding it in. Boeing has kept this one big secret. I guess it is out.

03-19-2007, 20:59 PM	#9 (permalink)
101st Airborne Banished Regular Join Date: 03-17-07 Location: Australia Posts: 118 Country:	Gee Highsea, I'm surprised that you admit this much. I guess it is more than your job is worth to reveal that they are actually advanced to flight testing the airliner.

03-19-2007, 21:11 PM	#12 (permalink)
101st Airborne Banished Regular Join Date: 03-17-07 Location: Australia Posts: 118 Country:	Thanks High sea. Interesting article. Well the sectret is finally out. Boeing is flight testing the airliner. Did you take that shot Top Hatter? Where was it? Can't wait for this concept to become operational at airline level. I know Qantas are very interested.

03-19-2007, 22:15 PM	#15 (permalink)
101st Airborne Banished Regular Join Date: 03-17-07 Location: Australia Posts: 118 Country:	It is unlikely that the floorplan configeration will be like a great hall. It is too dangerous, with too far for stuff to be flying around, not to mention people, if an emergency occured. The floor plan would still be narrow seating areas in seperate cabins which will also allow for real class segregation and even private twin cabins.

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