NASA reveals planes of the future

An artists concept of the Lockheed Martin aircraft / NASA

Boeing's SUGAR Volt is a twin-engine aircraft with hybrid propulsion technology / NASA

NASA is to begin testing passenger planes of the future, which will travel faster, quieter and greener than current models.

Three concept designs, including one created by Boeing, will fly up to 85 per cent of the speed of sound; cover a range of approximately 11,265km; and carry between 50,000 and 100,000 pounds of payload, either passengers or cargo.

The concepts will begin testing this year and could potentially be ready to fly as soon as 2025.

The designs come from Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and The Boeing Company - who each won a contract from NASA to research and test their concepts.

Each team will be exploring, testing, simulating, keeping and discarding innovations and technologies to make their design a winner.

"Standing next to the airplane, you may not be able to tell the difference, but the improvements will be revolutionary," Richard Wahls, NASA project scientist, said.

"Technological beauty is more than skin deep."

Boeing's SUGAR Volt is a twin-engine aircraft with hybrid propulsion technology with a tube-shaped body and a truss-braced wing mounted to the top.

The aircraft's engines could use both fuel to burn in the engine's core, and electricity to turn the turbofan when the core is powered down.

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