If, and, when Boeing or Airbus or someone else decides that some form of
blended wing design is more practical than the current designs, then that is
what will be built, and every airline will have them and our kids or grand
kids will wonder why those old people ever thought a Boeing 777 was a cool
airplane. There will be fewer parts involved and all of them will be made of
advanced carbon/carbon materials. Two of GE's newest at 300,000 pounds of
thrust each will power it. The fuel will all be well away from the passengers
(Thank you Mr. Burnelli) and moved quickly from bladder to bladder by a
computer trim system like that in the B1B. The wing span will be only
slightly more than a 747, but it will need only half of the runway length at
full gross.

How do you know that? Are you saying it is going to have a low wing loading 
or a higher power to weight ratio? If a low wing loading the ride is going
to be bad. If the same cruise wing loading with a higher power to weight ratio
the landing will be much much longer because you cannot put fowler flaps
on a flying wing. Do not underestimate the importance of this. 

Airports that only see a DC-9 will get a charter Airbus BW320 or
a Boeing BW797. Airframe life will be 70 years. The landing flaps/speed brake
combination will look remarkably like those on Northrop's giant wings. Should
the pilot be disabled, the plane will land at the nearest suitable airport
automatically. Super LEDs buried in the bottom skins will flash advertising
for major retail brands, or the airline name when no advertising is sold. The
900 plus passengers will all be in first class seating. Once the public has
flown on one of these beautiful new ships, they will plan travel based on the
aircraft they travel on as well as destination. The technology required to do
this is already with us. If the US supplied money to a national airline like
the French and British we would be flying in them now.

Lynn E. Hanover

"If the US supplied money to a national airline like the French and British 
we would be flying in them now." 

What happened to capitalism and free enterprise? 
Fortunately this is not a communist country yet. The Russians proved communism
does not work once and for all. The capitalistic system provides development 
money on the basis of an enterprise eventually making money. As such only 
practical and efficient enterprises succeed or the people putting up the
money lose it. Its called freedom. Why take development money from all of 
us at the point of a gun just because some engineers think some new airplane 
design might be better. History is littered with the economic wrecks of 
socialism and communism. To my knowledge nationally subsidized Airbus 
has yet to show a profit.

Paul Lamar
 
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