KLM wants to make its passengers travel in the wings

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines logo.

June 8, 2019

Flying V-900

A student imagined the plane of the future. The concept is developed by Dutch researchers with the support of the KLM company. It would notably save 20% of kerosene.

«Economic and environmentally friendly» aircraft are at the heart of the development of the aviation industry, which is under enormous cost pressure and is regularly criticized for its environmental impact. A student from the Technical University of Berlin has thus devised a new concept of futuristic aircraft. His craft, developed by Dutch researchers with the support of the airline KLM, was named «Flying V-900», in honor of the famous Gibson guitar of the same name.

Flying V-900

If the characteristics of this aircraft are close to an Airbus 350-900, its fuel consumption would be 20% lower than the most economical airliners currently in service. A good point in an international context in search of a cleaner and less polluting tourism. The device takes the triangular shape of a guitar, which gives it a much better penetration in the air (+ 15%) compared to conventional aircrafts, notes a site specializing in aeronautics. The weight of the aircraft, much lighter than current aircraft of equivalent size, also plays a big role.

New options for passengers

«The new shape of the aircraft offers us interesting opportunities to design the interior, making the flight more comfortable for passengers,» explains the general manager of KLM. For example, as part of the Flying-V search, we are exploring new options for resting or dining on the plane. Offering buffet food is one of the options. » The future aircraft is a «V» shaped flying wing that will integrate the passenger cabin, the cargo hold and the fuel tanks in the wings. It will accommodate more than 300 passengers.

Flying V-900

A flying model and a full-size part of the interior of the Flying-V will be officially presented next October, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of KLM. The project will not be realized before 2040, because many tests are still necessary.

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (Wikipedia): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KLM

Images, Video, Text, Credits: KLM/CGA/Orbiter.ch Aerospace/Roland Berga.

Best regards, Orbiter.chArchive link