Why will it take 25 years for the SAX-40 to replace current passanger jets?

Question

I read about this new jet on the internet - it is a result of research by a consortium of scientists and experts and the like inc Boeing and MIT.
They designed a plane, the SAX-40 they call it, and it looks like a giant Stealth Bomber in my humble opinion.
Apparently it will use less fuel and be a lot quieter than today's jets.
There is just one snag - they estimate it will not be in use for another 25 years.
Why is this?

Answer 1

We have been working on flying wings since WWII, the Horten brothers made some gorgeous aircraft back in pre-war Nazi Germany. After the war Armstrong Whitworth made the A.W.52 and Northrop made the YB-35 and XB-49, all of which had severe issues. The B2 was probably the first to be reasonably flyable.

Check out the Boeing X48 too, it's another current design.

I hope they will get it right one day, but there will also be some customer resistance, at least in the very early stages.

To me these things look right, they look like they should work well, but until one of the big companies decides to actually make one they'll just be interesting research projects.

Answer 2

Testing and R&D all take time couple this with a lengthy manufacturing process which may envolve new technology or techniques and it add's up to a long wait. Another factor is that planes are expensive and any airline will want to get it's moneys worth out of there existing fleet before they buy new planes. If it becomes economically viable for airlines to replace there fleet with more efficient plane (if the govt whack a massive tax on fuel for instance) then things will happen sooner i'm sure

Answer 3

It goes through the same rigors and drugs. They have to be tested before being put in use. I don't know about this plane, but by the time they go through all this hassle, the new jet will be outdated and we have to wait again, and again. Big brother government. I have found through out my long life that the Democrat party likes to have a hands on approach on EVERYTHING. They always want to make sure they are not offending anyone.

Answer 4

I haven't heard about it, but there's such a huge amount of research and development that has to go into passenger aircraft that it takes time.
As well as all the R and D, there's new factories to be built, new building techniques (as with the airbus A380) and then very extensive testing before it's allowed to carry passengers. It's all for safety reasons.