MIT Designs Ultra-Efficient, Flying Fishlike Planes

The next major replacements for the Boeing 737 and 777 models might not come from Boeing at all. MIT researchers recently presented NASA with two models for efficient, low emissions planes--part of a $2.1 million research contract awarded to the university by NASA in 2008. MIT's objective: design quiet subsonic planes that emit 70% less NOx, burn 70% less fuel than current models, and have the ability to take off from short runways. In true MIT style, the university delivered--albeit with...