KLM Successfully Flies Scale Model Of Its V-Shaped, Sustainable-Focused Flying-V Aircraft

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Dutch airline KLM recently announced that it has successfully completed the first flight of a scale model of its experimental Flying-V aircraft. (Photo courtesy of KLM.)

Dutch airline KLM has announced that it has successfully completed the first flight of a scale model of its Flying-V, a V-shaped aircraft it calls the “energy-efficient aircraft of the future.” Along with Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, KLM unveiled the Flying-V’s design in October 2019 during its 100th anniversary. The parties have since completed extensive wind tunnel and ground tests. Footage of the flight is available online.

A Sustainable Future

Researchers, engineers, and a TU Delft drone pilot all took part in the test flight held at a German airbase. KLM CEO and President Pieter Elbers says the Flying-V’s design fits within KLM’s Fly Responsibly initiative, which he says represents everything KLM is doing and will do in the future to improve its sustainability. “We want a sustainable future for aviation, and innovation is part of that,” he says.

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The Flying-V features an aerodynamic V-shaped design that KLM says reduces fuel consumption. (Photo courtesy of KLM.)

The Flying-V’s energy-efficient long-haul design places the passenger cabin, cargo hold, and fuel tanks in the wings, creating a “spectacular V-shape.” Computer calculations predict that the aircraft’s aerodynamic shape and reduced weight will cut fuel consumption by 20% as compared to today’s “most advanced aircraft.” To help its aim, KLM has taken on additional partners, including Airbus. “You can't make the aviation sector more sustainable on your own, but you have to do it together," Elbers says. “The next step will be to fly the Flying-V on sustainable fuel.”

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Source: KLM