The ecoDemonstrator Program is a
Boeingflight testresearch program, which has used a series of specially modified aircraft to develop and test aviation technologies designed to improve
fuel economy and reduce the
noise and
ecological footprint of airliners.
Starting in 2012, several aircraft have tested around 250 technologies as of 2023; many remain in further development, but about a third have been implemented commercially,[1] such as
iPad apps for pilot
real-time information to reduce fuel use and emissions; custom
approach paths to reduce
community noise; and cameras for ground navigation and collision avoidance.[2]
Boeing's named airliner technology programs started in 2001 with the Quiet Technology Demonstrator, and have continued, through the ecoDemonstrator, to the ecoDemonstrator Explorer program announced in 2023.
Quiet Technology Demonstrator program
The ecoDemonstrator program followed the joint
Rolls-Royce and Boeing Quiet Technology Demonstrator (QTD) program, which ran in 2001 and 2005 to develop a quieter engine using chevrons on the rear of the nacelle and exhaust nozzles, as well as an acoustically enhanced inlet liner.[3] In 2001 an
American AirlinesBoeing 777-200ER with
Rolls-Royce Trent 800 engines was used for the flight tests.[4] Much testing was carried out at
Glasgow Industrial Airport, Montana, the airport of Boeing's subsidiary,[5] Montana Aviation Research Company (MARCO).[6] The tests were successful, demonstrating better noise reduction than predicted[7] and leading to redesign of wing
leading edge de-icing holes to eliminate whistling, a modification which was immediately applied on the 777 production line.[8] Once the QTD2 program began, this program started to be referred to as QTD1.
The resulting design changes were demonstrated in the 2005 Quiet Technology Demonstrator Two (QTD2) program in which a new Boeing 777-300ER, fitted with
General Electric GE90-115B engines, was used for a three-week trial, again mainly at Boeing's flight test centre at Glasgow Industrial Airport.[9][10] As well as the modifications, the aircraft was equipped with extensive sound measurement equipment, and microphone arrays were laid out around the airfield.[11] The chevrons have since been adopted on the
Boeing 737 MAX series,
747-8 and
787 Dreamliner aircraft.[12]
Also tested on the QTD2 were streamlined toboggan fairings on the main
landing gear to reduce noise.[6]
In 2018 a new design of engine inlet liner was flight tested in a successor program, Quiet Technology Demonstrator 3 (QTD3), using acoustic arrays at
Moses Lake,
Washington.[13] The
NASA-designed inlet was installed in the right-hand nacelle of one of Boeing's two
737 MAX 7 prototypes,[14] powered by
CFM International LEAP 1B engines. The testing took place between 27 July and 6 August.[15]
The ecoDemonstrator program was formally launched in 2011, in partnership with American Airlines and the FAA.[12] The first ecoDemonstrator aircraft, a
Boeing 737-800, operated during 2012. Since then a different aircraft has been used each year, excepting 2013 and 2017, with testing operations lasting from a few weeks to over six months. The testing is usually done in collaboration with many industry partners, including
NASA,
the FAA, airlines, makers of engines, equipment and software, and academic institutions.[16] The results of the tests are rarely publicised, respecting the confidentiality of the industrial partners. Up to 2022, of the roughly 230 technologies tested, about a third have been progressed on to Boeing's products and services.[17]
In 2022, the ninth aircraft in the program, a Boeing 777-200ER wore a special 10th anniversary livery.[17]
Participating aircraft
2012: Boeing 737-800
This was a new aircraft destined for American Airlines and in their livery. With this, the first ecoDemonstrator, Boeing tested
laminar flow technology for winglets, improving fuel efficiency by 1.8 percent. This fed directly into the design of the
winglets used on the subsequent 737 MAX series.[18] The aircraft tested other technologies, including:
variable area fan nozzle to optimize engine efficiency
regenerative hydrogen fuel cell for aircraft electrical power
adaptive outer wing trailing edges for greater take-off lift and decreased drag in cruise[19]
active engine vibration control
flightpath optimization for operational efficiency
wireless sensors to reduce wiring, reduce weight and save fuel.
outer wing access doors made from recycled 787 carbon fibre.
development of the Airborne Spacing for Terminal Arrival Routes (ASTAR) system to reduce spacing between aircraft on approach to airports.[12]
2015: Boeing 757-200
This aircraft served with
United Airlines for 23 years before being used by Boeing for the ecoDemonstrator program. The aircraft was painted in the
TUI Group livery as a mark of their collaboration in the project, particularly in the environmental efficiency aspects. NASA's
Langley Research Center was also a major participant as part of its Environmentally Responsible Aviation (ERA) project.[22] At the end of the testing period the aircraft was, in conjunction with the
Aircraft Fleet Recycling Association and the aircraft lessor
Stifel, disassembled for recycling.[23][24] Around 90% of materials were reused or recycled.[25]
Among the 20 technologies explored were:
improvement of airflow with insect shields and anti-bug coatings on one wing
The third
E170 prototype first flew in 2002 and was retained by Embraer as a test and demonstration aircraft. It was the only non-Boeing aircraft so far to participate as an ecoDemonstrator.[28] Testing projects included:
use of
LIDAR to complement existing air data sensors
ice-phobic paint to reduce icing and insect debris buildup
new noise-reducing flaps
special sensors to investigate airflow and improve aerodynamics
use of 10% Brazil-produced bio-fuel and 90% standard kerosene.[29]
2018: Boeing 777F
FedEx supplied a newly delivered 777 freighter for use in the ecoDemonstrator program. After two months of conversion, it was used in the testing program for around three months before restoration to its freighter role. Technologies explored included:
This airliner had served
Air China since 2001 before Boeing purchased it to join the ecoDemonstrator program.[31] During testing, the aircraft visited Frankfurt, Germany, as several experiments were sponsored by German organisations including the
German Aerospace Center (DLR),
Diehl Aerospace, and
Fraport. Among the 50 projects trialled were:
recyclable cabin carpet tiles
moisture-absorbent toilet floor made from recycled carbon fibre
sharing digital information between
air traffic control (ATC), the
flight deck and an airline's operations center to optimize routing efficiency and safety
atmospheric
greenhouse gas measurement system integration for airliners
passenger air vent designs to create an
air curtain between seat rows.[43]
2022: Boeing 777-200ER
The aircraft was originally delivered to
Singapore Airlines in 2002, and flew most recently for
Surinam Airways. It wears a livery celebrating the 10th anniversary of the ecoDemonstrator program. Boeing implied that this aircraft will operate as the ecoDemonstrator test aircraft until 2024.[16] The company stated that the six-month 2022 program would demonstrate 30 new technologies,[44] among which were:
the use of a 30% SAF blend
disinfection of water from sinks for reuse in toilet flushing
In April 2023 Boeing announced that the 777-200ER would be testing 19 technologies during the year, including:
cargo hold wall panels made from recycled and sustainable materials
fibre-optic fuel quantity sensors compatible with SAF
smart airport maps by Boeing subsidiary
Jeppesen for active airport taxiing monitoring for electronic flight bags (EFBs)[46]
all flights to use SAF in the highest available blend[1]
Between 25 June and 29 June 2023 the aircraft operated from
London Stansted Airport,[47] performing flights over The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and the Czech Republic, subsequently returning to its base at Seattle.[48] As of January 2024[update] no announcement had been made about the purpose of these flights.
In December 2023, in cooperation with
Nav Canada, the aircraft taxied from stand to runway at
Vancouver International Airport using only digital communications via the EFB, with no voice contact with ATC.[49]
All aircraft apart from the 2022 777 had ecoDemonstrator stickers applied to the fuselage or engine nacelles, at least one retaining them for some time after its participation in the program ended.[53]
ecoDemonstrator Explorer program
In April 2023 Boeing announced a new program, ecoDemonstrator Explorer, using "platforms that will focus on short-term testing of a specific technology"'.[1]
Projects
First project
The first ecoDemonstrator Explorer was a 787-10. using the aircraft's technologies along with coordination with the
air navigation service providers (ANSPs) of the US, Japan, Singapore and Thailand to optimise routings for greatest possible efficiency across variables such as weather, air traffic and airspace closures. This is the basis of an international form of trajectory-based operations (TBO), already part of the US FAA's national
NextGen project. The ANSPs will coordinate to streamline the flow of traffic through multiple national jurisdictions.[54] The test flights will use the highest available blends of SAF in the process. Boeing expects that the fuel burn could be reduced by up to 10%.[1]
In June 2023 787-10 N8290V (a Boeing test registration) was used for the first Explorer test/demonstration flights.[A] The aircraft, built in 2021 for
Vietnam Airlines but not taken up, was unmarked except for basic Boeing logos and “ecoDemonstrator EXPLORER” stickers.[56] It left Seattle on 11 June, flying first to Tokyo (
Narita). From there it flew to Singapore (
Changi) on 13 June, then on to Bangkok (
Suvarnabhumi) on 14 June,[57] and returned direct to Seattle (
Everett) on 16 June.[58]
The
Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) stated that this was part of a three-year programme. Boeing's chief pilot for product development stated that the TBO system, using technologies already in use aboard many modern airliners, allows pilots and air traffic controllers to make trial route change requests to see the cascading effects of the change on their, and other aircraft's flights, all the way through to
airport gate availability, to see if they are likely to be approved.[57]
In October 2023 it was announced that the ANSPs of China, Indonesia, Japan, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and the USA would create a Pathfinder project to demonstrate TBO across the region within four years. Separately the ANSPs of Indonesia, New Zealand and Singapore, along with the
Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO), and
IATA agreed to implement within a year a similar Free Route Operations (FRTO) project to provide routings between defined city pairs.[59]
Second project
On 12 October 2023 Boeing announced a second ecoDemonstrator Explorer project. It evaluated the environmental characteristics of SAF[60] using a new 737 MAX 10 destined for United Airlines. Registered N27602, it made its first flight on 14 September 2023 and wore a special livery with "ecoDemonstrator EXPLORER" titles and "The Future is SAF" markings on the nacelles.[61] It flew running on SAF from one fuel tank, alternating with conventional fuel from another tank. The emissions from the
CFM International LEAP 1B engines were sampled by the NASA
Douglas DC-8 Airborne Science Lab, registered N817NA, which flew behind the test aircraft.[62] The characteristics of
contrails produced were evaluated.[63] Also collaborating on the project are the FAA, GE Aerospace, and the DLR.[64] NASA stated that the test results will be released to the public.[62]
Test flights started on 12 October 2023, based at
Everett Paine Field. 11 flights were performed, 8 over Montana and three over the
Pacific off the coast of
Oregon, at constant altitudes ranging from 30,000 ft (9,100 m) to 38,000 ft (12,000 m). The average duration of each flight was around five hours, generally flying an extended racetrack pattern. At the end of the final test flight on 1 November, the Explorer aircraft returned to Everett while the DC-8 flew back to
Plant 42,
Palmdale, California.[65][66]
^This aircraft, in full Vietnam Airlines livery, had already been used as a Boeing test aircraft, notably in the UK during 2022. The purpose of the testing was not revealed by Boeing, but was rumoured to be in connection with
5G wireless radio transmissions.[55]
^At that time the MAX 10 model had not been certificated, so could not be delivered to any airlines.