Flying-V future aircraft represents massive victory over airline emissions

This unconventional V-shaped plane of the future represents no small victory over carbon emissions.

The Dutch airline KLM and the technical university TU Delft have teamed up to create a revolutionary design that students have dubbed the 'Flying V.'

The sci-fi like design maybe striking in appearance, but more impressive still are the specs from this green flying machine from the future.

The high-flying design first won recognition from the UK's Royal Aeronautical Society in 2015. Photo / Supplie

The unusual shape makes for huge improvements in aerodynamics and fuel efficiency 20% greater than the current generation of Airbus A350s.

Student Justus Benad came up with the concept as his thesis project while working at Airbus Hamburg.

The high-flying design first won recognition from the UK's Royal Aeronautical Society and in the Young Researcher Competition in 2015.

While offering the same number of seats as a regular A350-900 and almost exactly the same wingspan of 65metres, Benad's design offers a number of advantages.

The Flying-V follows the same dimensions as a conventional wide body passenger plane. Photo / Supplied

The simplicity of the design minimises the amount of moving parts and costs though construction and complications: a win for the aircraft builders.

The increasingly aerodynamic design makes for big fuel and carbon savings, and potentially cheaper tickets: a win for the passengers, airlines and the planet.

And lastly, an even more novel aspect of the design sees engines mounted on the top of the plane, leading to reduced noise from aircraft overhead: a win for everybody.

Since then the plane is roughly the same dimensions as a conventional wide body aircraft the revolutionary design would be compatible with current airports and runways.

Pieter Elbers, CEO of KLM was pleased to embark on the prototype project with TU Delft university, saying: "KLM takes this very seriously and has therefore been investing in sustainability at different levels for many years, enabling it to develop a broad spectrum of sustainability initiatives. 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 V-shape aircraft represents a big win for passengers and airlines.

Professor Henri Werjj who is the dean of the university's Aerospace Engineering faculty was eager for the project to get underway, but says his faculty has even loftier ambitions:
"Radically new and highly energy-efficient aircraft designs such as the Flying-V are important in this respect, as are new forms of propulsion."

However, for all the improved efficiencies achieved by the V, the aircraft is just a jumping-off point.

"Our ultimate aim is one of emission free flight. Our cooperation with KLM offers a tremendous opportunity to bring about real change," said Professor Werjj.

While models of the V-wing design have been tried researchers will be flying a prototype
as soon as October this year to see if it could be a viable aircraft.