This video about a new Boeing airliner shows the idea – about halway through
Cost and weight penalties for the small return?
Giuseppe Bellanca was there and did that. The Aircruiser was a pretty good plane used in the Canadian wilderness.
You can see how the modern rendition maximizes wing aspect ratio (and thereby reduces drag) while minimizing weight. If it pencils out, it’s a good idea.
Maoraigh wrote:
weight penalties
There is a weight saving vs strutless wing of same shape and size.
To make strutless, cantilever wing viable for this aspect ratio it would have to be much thicker hence draggier, especially at high subsonic mach .
Silvaire wrote:
Giuseppe Bellanca was there and did that
That’s a cool looking plane 
Interesting history as well
So why isn’t this flying W a more recognizable shape in US aviation history? Three reasons, I feel. First, when Charles Lindbergh and his backers were looking for a plane to win the $25,000 Orteig prize, a Bellanca plane, the WB-2, a powerful, proven performer and race winner was first considered. Unfortunately the chairman of the board for the Columbia Aircraft Corporation (G. M. Bellanca’s aircraft firm), Charlie Levine, proved to be too much of a wheeler-dealer. Bellanca was all for selling the plane to Lindbergh in order that he might make the New York to Paris flight, but Levine had other ideas. He agreed to sell the plane to Lindbergh for $15,000. When Lindbergh arrived to purchase the plane, Levine told him, “…We will sell you the plane, but we reserve the right to select the crew who flies it.” Naturally Lindbergh was furious. He left New York City and the Columbia Aircraft Corporation, went straight to San Diego and purchased the Ryan plane in which he successfully completed his historic flight.
This must be some of the largest bummers in the history of aviation, and not very well known (at least I had no clue).
Biplanes have been around for a very looong time… any additional wing, strut, or whatever its called, brings its own intersection induced drag. Boeing seriously thinking about such a concept would be highly surprising IMHO.
Possible in Belarus? where most students in MS of aerodynamic also have PhD in differential geometry
Hard to guess where the wing is and where the strut is? but if you are into rieman manifolds, then look locally near gear (it looks like a wing) and look locally near edges (it looks like a strut)
There was a start-up in California collecting investment for a similar wing design. Has it disappeared?
