Boeing unveils a radically new kind of aircraft, which it hopes to have ready to carry commercial passengers by 2030:
Last November a team from MIT and Cambridge University unveiled the SAX-40, a blended-wing design that promises to be more fuel-efficient than a Toyota Prius — and thanks in part to the engine placement, just as quiet (at 63 decibels).These designs still have a bumpy ride before they’ll be accepted by airlines: How to build a flat pressurized cargo hold is one challenge; another is asking passengers to sit 25 seats away from the window.