Radical Boeing Aircraft, more fuel efficient than PRIUS

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

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 (http://money.cnn.com/quote/quote.html?symb=TM) Prius - and thanks in part to the engine placement, just as quiet (at 63 decibels).

http://i.cnn.net/money/2007/03/12/magazines/business2/planestakewing.biz2/boeing_planes.03.jpg

Can we get a link to where you got this information from? I'd like to know more.

They had a concept design for a new passenger jet with a canard (Horizontal stabiliser at the front, providing an upward force instead of down, meaning much more efficieny and less danger of stalling at transonic speeds.). But the public had a bad reaction to it, thinking it doesn't look safe or something. So Boeing changed back to a more conventional design and now here comes the 787.

http://www.aerospaceweb.org/aircraft/jetliner/sonic_cruiser/sonic_cruiser_04.jpg

I'm wondering how the public will react to this new one you just mentioned.

Can we get a link to where you got this information from? I'd like to know more.

http://science.netscape.com/story/2007/03/14/radical-new-boeing-aircraft-takes-flight/

I first saw it here.

Can we get a link to where you got this information from? I'd like to know more.

They had a concept design for a new passenger jet with a canard (Horizontal stabiliser at the front, providing an upward force instead of down, meaning much more efficieny and less danger of stalling at transonic speeds.). But the public had a bad reaction to it, thinking it doesn't look safe or something. So Boeing changed back to a more conventional design and now here comes the 787.

http://www.aerospaceweb.org/aircraft/jetliner/sonic_cruiser/sonic_cruiser_04.jpg

I'm wondering how the public will react to this new one you just mentioned.

Thats a pretty good explanation of what happened.

I'm looking forward to Blended Wing-Body planes, as they should greatly revolutionize the industry. I read a rumor in Aviation weekly from a while back that Airbus may make a BWB plane in the future. It'd be sweet.

Its also more expensive to own, and maintain. Am I right? It Also get better mileage than the Honda Insight.

wouldnt the lack of gravity pulling on the plane play a role on its fuel efficiency being better than the prius?