In an attempt to develop quieter and cleaner aviation technology, aircraft manufacturer Boeing has teamed up with leading global carrier American Airlines to conduct the ecoDemonstrator programme. A next generation 737-800 is set to be used for flight tests to try and accelerate emerging technologies.
Reducing fuel consumption, carbon emissions and aircraft noise have become key objectives for both manufacturers and carriers in order to become more cost-effective and to improve sustainability.
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“We are proud to have American Airlines as our launch partner for this new generation of technology that can bolster aviation's role as the most efficient means of global transportation,” said Boeing Vice President of Environment and Aviation Policy Billy Glover. “There's no better way to prepare advanced technologies for market entry than flying them and no better choice than the best selling single-aisle airplane of all time - the Boeing Next-Generation 737.”
The 737-800 will service as the flight test component for the US Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Continuous Lower Energy Emissions Noise (CLEEN) program. Boeing is finalising plans for installing initial components which includes adaptable trailing edge technology, variable area fan nozzle, flight trajectory optimisation for in-flight planning, and regenerative fuel cells for onboard power.
"Our ecoDemonstrator flight test program allows us to accelerate promising technologies and move them onto airplane models and into new aircraft design considerations across the industry," said Boeing ecoDemonstrator Program Manager David Akiyama. "It also allows us to verify airplane applicability and identify and eliminate potential integration challenges."
