Boeing is performing it's usual trick of floating a pipe dream to see if anyone will respond.
Over recent years Boeing has been relying on its reputation and its market domination to produce and sell a series of mediocre products (alongside its excellent products) which it assumed airlines would be forced to buy. This policy left gaps in its product line which Airbus was only to pleased to fill.
Boeing derided the A380 and now that it may become a reality, however ill advised, they are beginning to panic. First we see the Super400 and now we have the flying wing concept, which as another poster pointed out, is just knocking the dust of an old McD. idea.
I love Boeing products for there reliability and solidity. They do a great job in BUILDING an aeroplane. Unfortunately, they are now suffering from the same beancounter mentality as other industries. What! take a risk, push the envelope? Wouldn't it be cheaper and safer just to put winglets on the old aeroplane and change its model number? Then we can sell it as a new product.
What we are seeing with this "new" proposal is an attempt to generate response, which if great enough, could justify SERIOUSLY looking at the idea. Secondly, Boeing calculates that any move it implies into the big aircaft market will cause potential buyers to think twice about buying Airbus.
The illogicality of this idea is demonstrated in one aspect. The big criticism of the 380 was that it would not fit "old" airfield facilities, taxiways and gates etc. Imagine the problems in these areas a flying wing design would generate!
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