The Next Generation of Aircraft

Jim Hileman, vice president and chief engineer of Sustainability & Future Mobility at Boeing, shared details about next-gen aircraft, new technologies, operational efficiency, and more in an interview with Avionics International.

Avionics International: What are some of Boeing’s priorities in developing the next generation of aircraft?

Jim Hileman: We’re making steady progress across our development programs, including the 737-7, 737-10, 777-9, and 777-8F.

When positioning for our future, we are focused on the technology and capabilities that we need to ensure our next products deliver a generational leap in capability for our customers and reshape our markets.

We’re significantly increasing our research and development over these next several years, and much of that will be focused on our capabilities: producibility, digital, sustainability, and autonomy.

We expect to be in a position to introduce a new airplane sometime in the middle of the next decade.

Avionics International: How does Boeing ensure the safety and reliability of new technologies implemented in aircraft?

Jim Hileman: Safety is the primary consideration when Boeing engineers design an airplane or incorporate new technologies.

In addition to meeting regulatory requirements before certification, each airplane must meet Boeing’s design standards. Often these standards are more stringent than regulatory requirements.

New technologies are subject to robust processes that ensure safety throughout design, testing, certification, and operation.

Avionics International: How does Boeing approach the challenge of noise reduction in aircraft?

Jim Hileman: Boeing has an active research program to look for innovative ways to reduce noise from aircraft and the Boeing ecoDemonstrator program has played an integral role, testing noise technologies in the cabin and on the outside of the airplane, in addition to testing operational efficiency maneuvers to reduce noise around airports and communities.

Almost every ecoDemonstrator test platform has conducted noise testing, including comprehensive noise testing in partnership with NASA on the 2020 ecoDemonstrator, an Etihad Airways 787-10 Dreamliner.

Boeing is collaborating with many organizations around the world to reduce aircraft noise through improved operational procedure concepts for our current aircraft as well as advancing new lower noise technologies for future aircraft.

The certification noise levels for all aircraft are published and publicly available. New aircraft families have smaller footprints than the aircraft they replace.

For example, the noise footprint of the 737 MAX is 50% smaller than that of a 737NG.

Avionics International: What advancements in aircraft technology might be coming in the next decade? How will these advancements impact the efficiency and performance of aircraft?

Boeing continues to advance its four strategic pathways to reduce emissions: fleet renewal, renewable energy, advanced technologies, and operational efficiency.

Fleet renewal

New airplanes provide significant efficiency gains, and each generation of fleet renewal reduces fuel use and emissions. Some examples:

737 MAX: Powered by CFM International LEAP-1B engines and incorporating an optimized aerodynamic design, the 737 MAX reduces fuel use and emissions by 20% compared to the airplanes it replaces.

787 Dreamliner: The 787 has best-in-class economics, including 25% lower fuel consumption and emissions than the airplanes it replaces.

777X: With new breakthroughs in aerodynamics and engines, the 777X will deliver 10% lower fuel use and emissions and 10% lower operating costs than the competition. With advanced technology from the new 777X and proven performance from the 777 Freighter, the new 777-8 Freighter offers the highest payload and lowest fuel use, emissions, and operating costs per tonne of any large freighter.

Renewable energy

We are doing everything we can to enable the use of 100% SAF as soon as possible.

SAF is currently limited to a blend of 50% with petroleum.

Boeing is working with suppliers to study how 100% SAF interacts with airplane parts that come into contact with fuel. The testing is crucial to understanding the work we need to do to make Boeing’s airplane systems and materials compatible with 100% SAF.

Boeing is also supporting the work of ASTM International to develop jet fuel standards that would enable existing aircraft to use 100% SAF with synthetic aromatics produced from biomass and waste resources. Significant analysis and component testing, as well as demonstration flights, show that it is indeed possible to fly on certain 100% SAFs, and to do so with the fleet of aircraft we have in use today.

Hydrogen: Boeing has conducted six demonstration projects and has extensive experience using hydrogen as a fuel for launch vehicle and space applications. We continue to study and test the potential of this energy source. In the 2040s, hydrogen fuel cell powered air vehicles could start to penetrate the market in the sub-regional segment.

Sustainable Flight Demonstrator (SFD): In January, NASA selected Boeing and its industry team to lead the development and flight testing of a full-scale Transonic Truss-Braced Wing (TTBW) demonstrator airplane as part of the SFD program. The airplane has been designated as X-66A and is NASA’s first X-plane focused on helping achieve its goal of net-zero aviation greenhouse gas emissions. When combined with expected advancements in propulsion systems, materials, and systems architecture, a single-aisle airplane with a TTBW configuration could reduce fuel consumption and emissions up to 30% relative to today's domestic fleet of airplanes.

Avionics International: In terms of sustainability, what strategies is Boeing adopting to reduce the environmental impact of aircraft? Are there any specific initiatives or technologies being developed?

Jim Hileman: We are working closely with our customers and governments around the globe to support civil aviation’s commitment to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Boeing continues to simultaneously advance four strategic pathways to achieve this goal: fleet renewal, renewable energy, advanced technologies, and operational efficiency.

New airplanes provide significant efficiency gains, and each generation of fleet renewal reduces fuel use and emissions.

Under any scenario, we will need massive amounts of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) if we are to meet civil aviation’s 2050 net zero commitment. We are working with partners around the world to advance SAF as well as with our supply chain to enable 100% SAF compatibility on our airplanes by 2030.

In addition to the work on advancing SAF, Boeing is also developing future flight concepts that integrate other renewable fuel sources with advanced technology.

This includes studying hydrogen and hybrid-electric aircraft concepts across key areas, such as safety, physics, and certification challenges, future market applicability, and technology development. We are also examining other potential future energy carriers for aviation.

Flying existing airplanes with greater operational efficiency can reduce emissions; in some instances, this could reduce emissions by up to 10%.

Boeing expanded its ecoDemonstrator flight-test program to further accelerate innovation for safety and sustainability. With the 2023 program, we will assess 19 technologies on the current flagship Boeing ecoDemonstrator airplane, a 777-200ER, which include sustainable wall panels in the cargo hold that are made of 40% recycled carbon fiber and 60% resin made from a bio-based feedstock as well as a fiber optic fuel quantity sensor compatible with 100% SAF.

This year, the Boeing ecoDemonstrator program also added “Explorer” airplanes to focus testing on a singular project or technology. The highest available blend of SAF is purchased to cover all flight tests.