Boeing’s Sustainable Aircraft Concept Completes First Wind Tunnel Tests

Boeing’s Sustainable Flight Demonstrator, the X-66, has completed its first wind tunnel tests, advancing efforts to develop more fuel-efficient commercial aircraft.

The X-66 is an experimental jet designed to test new technologies for reducing fuel consumption and emissions.

The aircraft features a transonic truss-braced wing (TTBW) design with long, slender wings supported by diagonal struts. This configuration aims to improve aerodynamic efficiency and could help set new industry standards for sustainable air travel.

NASA conducted two wind tunnel tests to validate the aircraft’s design. At Langley Research Center in Virginia, a six-foot wingspan model underwent low-speed testing to measure lift, drag, and stability across different flight conditions. A semi-span model was later tested at Ames Research Center in California, simulating high-speed conditions to refine the wing structure and gather data for flight simulators.

Results from these tests will inform further design adjustments. A full-span model is currently undergoing additional high-speed wind tunnel testing at Ames. Meanwhile, Boeing is modifying an MD-90 jet to serve as the full-scale X-66 demonstrator, with flight testing expected to begin in 2028.