New “Flying-V” Plane Puts Passenger Seats in the Wings

• KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Delft University of Technology are working together to create the revolutionary Flying-V plane.
• Unlike common aircrafts, passenger seats can be found in the Flying-V’s wings.
• The unique plane is expected to take its first flight by 2040 to 2050.

A new airplane just made headlines because of its bizarre design. As we can see in te artist renditions below, the Flying-V plane interestingly places passengers in the aircraft’s wings.

According to reports, Netherlands’ KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is collaborating with Delft University of Technology to develop the unique plane design in an attempt to lower the required amount of fuel for flights. Researchers also claim that the revolutionary design can “transport approximately the same number of passengers as an Airbus A350 using 20 percent less fuel” so it should also be good for the environment.

Not your typical plane! The Flying-V is expected to revolutionize air travel as we know it.

KLM CEO and president Pieter Elbers issued a statement saying:

“In recent years, KLM has developed as a pioneer in sustainability within the airline industry.

“We are proud of our progressive cooperative relationship with TU Delft, which ties in well with KLM’s strategy and serves as an important milestone for us on the road to scaling-up sustainable aviation.”

The Flying-V took its name and inspiration from Jimi Hendrix’ iconic Gibson electric guitar.

Meanwhile, TU Delft project leader Roelof Vos also added:

“The industry is still growing, so we really need to look at more sustainable airplanes. We cannot simply electrify the whole fleet, as electrified airplanes become way too heavy and you can’t fly people across the Atlantic on electric airplanes – not now, not in 30 years.

“So we have to come up with new technologies that reduce fuel burn in a different way. We’ve been flying these tube and wing airplanes for decades now, but it seems like the configuration is reaching a plateau in terms of energy efficiency.

He likewise explained:

“The new configuration that we propose realizes some synergy between the fuselage and the wing. The fuselage actively contributes to the lift of the airplane, and creates less aerodynamic drag.

The Flying-V plane is expected to take its first flight between 2040 and 2050.