Airplane Technologies to Reduce Jet Fuel Use

The commercial airplane designer is faced with the challenge of balancing many factors to achieve an optimal airplane design, namely, how to reduce jet fuel use while also maintaining or improving emissions, noise, cruise speed, operating cost, range, reliability, maintainability, payload, takeoff field length, initial cruise altitude, and landing speed. Often, fuel efficiency improvements run counter to other design constraints imposed on the aircraft manufacturer by market forces. However, emerging engine and airframe technologies will help to continue the historical trend towards reduced fuel use. Five concept airplane designs will be reviewed that use future technology to enable the design of more environmentally friendly airplanes.