Advances in Cooperative Trajectories for Commercial Applications

Abstract

Numerous studies have confirmed that a significant improvement in fuel efficiency can be obtained by flying aircraft in formation. From 2015 - 2018, Boeing conducted a study of extended formation flight, referred to here as Cooperative Trajectories. This study culminated in a flight test in 2018 on Boeing’s ecoDemonstrator platform. In this paper, select results from this effort are shared, including a detailed concept of operations, elements of a Cooperative Trajectories system architecture, and flight test results that include fuel savings and ride quality measurements. Recommendations to further advance Cooperative Trajectories technology are given.