FLY ING - V
“The shape offers new
passenger experience
opportunities, but also new
engineering challenges”
aircraftinteriorsinternational.com
NOVEMBER 2019 065
TOP: FOUR TYPES OF
EXPERIMENTAL SEATING DESIGN
HAVE BEEN DEVISED FOR THE
FLYING-V CONCEPT
A flying scale model
A scale model of the aircraft is being
constructed in order to ensure that its
unusual design would remain stable and
reliable while flying at low speeds during
takeoff and landing. KLM is helping fund
the model as part of its 100th anniversary
celebrations, with flight tests expected to
take place in late 2019. With the support
of Airbus, these tests will take place at
a military airport, with only a very small
crew present.
The Flying-V drone will measure 2.5m
long and wide and will feature complex
electronics and systems, required both
to operate the model and to measure
the flight parameters needed for
research and optimisation of the model.
Much of the work is being carried
out by a team of TU Delft engineers,
technicians and masters students,
who are reported to be enjoying the
incredible learning curve.
present infrastructure at airports. That slight reduction
in available volume also gives the Flying-V less inflow
surface area than the A350, making it more aerodynamic
and thus fuel efficient.
Despite its smaller size, the shape of the Flying-V
would give it the same passenger capacity as the A350-900
– 314 in the standard configuration – as well as the same
amount of cargo, with 160m3 of available cargo space.
THE CABIN DESIGNS
Passengers would sit in the wings of the Flying-V in
cabins with a flat oval cross-section, a shape that offers
new passenger experience possibilities, but also some new
engineering challenges. One issue is that the inner pushpull
construction partly protrudes into the cabin, though
it leaves some additional space available to be used
outside of the defined passenger cabin width.
The unusual orientation of the cabins within the wings
also creates a safety consideration, as the angle of the seats
should not be angled more than 18° from the direction of
flight. The proposed LOPA sees staggered business class
seats fitted in the open middle section of the aircraft, with
integrating the passenger cabin, cargo
hold and fuel tanks into the wings.
Based on tests of a scale model, the
design partners calculate that the
aerodynamic V shape could result in
20% more fuel efficiency than the A350 –
and even zero CO2 emissions if hydrogen
propulsion replaced its proposed kerosene
propulsion. The development partners
don’t predict electric propulsion being
suitable for the long-haul Flying-V due
to the weight of batteries.
The claimed numbers are impressive,
but a reality check is in order before
considering the cabin designs. Airports
had to invest to host the double-decker
A380, but would the unconventional
Flying-V cause even greater issues?
The proposed design is a little shorter
than the A350-900 (55m vs 66.8m), with
the same 64.75m wing span and 17.05m
height, meaning that it could use the
See the Videos
page of our website
for a flythrough
of the Flying-V
cabin designs
/aircraftinteriorsinternational.com