A 787-10 Dreamliner on loan from Etihad Airways for Boeing’s 2020 ecoDemonstrator program makes a low pass over a collection of microphones just past the end of the runway at a research facility near Glasgow, Montana. The maneuver was repeated dozens of times during late August and early September as part of a NASA study to hear how total aircraft noise is affected by the placement and interaction of the jet engines with the airframe. Research results could help inform noise reduction approaches for today’s aircraft, as well as future commercial airliners that may feature designs in which the engines are placed where the wings and aircraft body might help shield the noise – making the airplane sound quieter on the ground.
Image credit: Boeing
