A friend passed on to me something that I'd somehow missed -- Boeing's work on a "blended wing aircraft", where the cargo or passengers are sited within a massive, triangular wing.
Apparently in 2006 there was a hoax going about on the Web stating that this was going to be the new 797 model for passenger use, but the company states that there is no possibility of using it for that purpose for at least 20 years. A prototype first flew in July 2007 at Edwards Air Force Base, codenamed the X-48B.
There's a lot of information about the concept in the patents. The Variable Size Blended Wing Body Aircraft is a good start. Here is the main drawing.
This was applied for in 2001, but as long ago as 1977 the company applied for a patent for a Midcabin Door for Blended Wing Aircraft. Evidently the company wants to use it for military use. A problem with it as a passenger aircraft would be that only those in the front seats would get an, admittedly fantastic, view. It reminds me of the Thunderbirds aircraft.
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