The world continues to dream of creating faster, more comfortable and, above all, more environmentally friendly aircraft. more environmentally friendly. Supported by the Dutch airline KLM and the TU Delft, the Flying-V, a highly energy-efficient long-haul aircraft, has made its first test flight. A success for the two protagonists behind the project.
Admittedly, the aircraft that took off from an air base in Germany was only a scale model. KLM had presented it for the first time during the KLM centenary in October 2019. The three-metre-long, 22.5 kg aircraft incorporates all the elements that characterise its development.
The aircraft's design integrates the passenger cabin, cargo hold and fuel tanks into the wings, creating a spectacular V shape.. Above all, scientific calculations show that this improved aerodynamic shape and the reduced weight of the aircraft will make it possible to reduce fuel consumption by 20 % compared with today's most advanced aircraft.
" We were very curious about the flight characteristics of the Flying-V. The design is in line with our initiative "Fly Responsibly. It represents everything we are doing and will do to improve our sustainability. We want a sustainable future for aviation, and innovation is part of that. It's not for nothing that KLM has been one of the top three most sustainable airlines in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for many years. We are therefore very proud to have been able to achieve this together in such a short space of time." says KLM CEO Pieter Elbers.
" We will continue to develop the Flying-V concept with all our partners. The next step will be to be able to fly the Flying V on sustainable fuel., "promises the KLM CEO. Proof of the confidence shown by the aeronautical world, various partners are now involved in the project, including the European manufacturer Airbus. Studies are continuing, in particular to improve the aircraft's take-off and landing performance. These are still too rough. An essential element before a real prototype with passengers takes to the skies!
