As our planet is going to hell in a handbasket and there’s no sign of air traffic — one of the fastest-growing sources of greenhouse gas emissions — decreasing, there’s an increasing amount of pressure to make aircrafts sustainable. KLM and the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering at Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) are at the forefront of these innovations, with the development of the “Flying-V” sustainable aircraft.
Photo: KLM
KLM’s V-Shaped Airplane Is the Flying Machine of the Future
Photo: KLM
According to the press release, the Flying-V will be a unique, extremely aerodynamic, V-shaped passenger aircraft, which will use 20 percent less fuel than the Airbus A350, today’s most advanced plane. The Flying-V will have the same wingspan and passenger capacity as the Airbus A350, but it will be smaller and everything on board is as light as possible to maximize efficiency and fuel economy.
The wings will contain the passenger cabin and the cargo, as well as the fuel tanks.
Photo: KLM
Photo: KLM
The project was unveiled at the 2019 IATA Annual General Meeting in Seoul, where KLM CEO Pieter Elbers committed to making aviation more sustainable, with the aid of academic and scientific partners. Although still in the early planning stages, a flying scale model and interior representation will be viewable at the KLM Experience Days event, in celebration of KLM’s 100th birthday. 