The airborne cattle cars currently known as airplanes could get a new makeover. A concept of a new, completely different type of airplane has been tested with great success, and, if introduced, would give air travel an entirely new look. The “Flying-V” makes substantial changes to the design of an airplane, making it more fuel efficient and potentially offer – unlike many of today’s aircraft – actual legroom. 

Airplanes have had basically the same form for the last 75 years – only minor changes have been made as technology improved. Now, the Flying-V is rewriting the book on airplane design. It puts passengers and cargo in the wings (yes, the same wings where the fuel is found) of a V-shaped vessel. Initial prototypes led to the creation of a three-meter scale model that has already had successful tests, and which will lead to even bigger prototypes being built. 

The aircraft was designed by researchers with the Netherlands’ Delft University of Technology with help from KLM Airlines. KLM is funding the project, which also has support from engineers with Airbus. As with virtually any new innovation, there were initial complications that made the Flying-V project difficult to get off the ground – literally – but the successful completion of a launch over the summer shows that the problem has been overcome. 

Not only does the Flying-V reduce fuel consumption by around 20% – and that’s only with existing protypes; it could be even more – there is the interior of the cabin that is improved by better use of the aerodynamic shape of the craft. So much more room becomes available that it would be possible to include facing seats separated by a flip-up table and even sleeping compartments. That can become especially beneficial for long-haul, intercontinental flights, which is precisely the type of air travel that prompted the design.