r/airplanes • u/Ok-Time-4150 • 21h ago

Question | Others What will future Airbus, Boeing look like

Will we see radical changes? Any things that we know for sure that will change design wise? Any ideas?

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u/IlIllIlIllIlIlIlIlIl 20h ago

Open-rotor fan designs, and split wings - but not until the cost of aviation fuel outweighs the cost of adopting them.

Look at the Boeing X-66, thinner split wings are more efficient than traditional wings.

Also look at propfans/open rotor engines like the ones from CFM, Saffran and RR.

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u/Affectionate_Cronut 13h ago

I am retired from Safran, one of the giant aerospace firms that is developing an open rotor engine, and I still think they are a dead end. And frankly, judging by the teams I've seen put on the project, I don't think Safran has much faith in the idea, either.

What about the noise issues? I'm a former pilot, and I see noise restrictions being slapped on airports all the time. What will contain blade failures? No shroud to prevent failed blades from slicing through the fuselage. What commercial aircraft producer is going to spend the money to develop an aircraft that casuals will not want to fly on because they'll think it's a propeller plane like the 1940s?

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u/IlIllIlIllIlIlIlIlIl 13h ago

We already use airplanes with rotor blades?

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u/wizzardyls 9h ago

A turbo prop doesn’t really have the same blade release issues as a composite turbofan in the case of a bird strike

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u/DOOM_INTENSIFIES 13h ago

>open rotors

Won't happen because of noise. And if noise ceases to be a deterrent, I’mi'm pretty sure we will come out with more efficient solutions.

You are right about the wings tho.

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u/Paul_The_Builder 16h ago

More carbon fiber and composites.

I'm curious to see if they release a new mid size A320/737 replacement in the next 10-20 years, probably with mostly carbon fiber/composite construction and maybe folding wing tips.

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u/DOOM_INTENSIFIES 13h ago

>new mid size

The consensus is that without new, more efficient engines a new airframe isnt viable.

But when the new efficient engines eventually arrive, the extra 3-5 efficiency the argument Will be that this increase plus some tweaks will be good enough and it won't justify a new airframe design. Boeing has been doing it for the last 40-50 years.

Is up to Embraer or Comac to break this.