Originally Posted by
84fiero
The NASA initiative is an X-plane, intended to test concepts and designs rather than as a prototype of an actual plane intended for commercial deployment. Its size reflects its mission and doesn't mean that commercial planes using concepts from the X-plane program would be that size.
Similarly the Airbus patent, while it reflects a smaller passenger capacity, may or may not have any bearing to something that would be produced.
Potential passenger capacity would be a factor among many, of course, in any sort of commercial production aircraft designs.
This.
NASA doesn't build prototypes of commercial or military aircraft, but rather experimental research aircraft to explore/study/evaluate/validate technical concepts. In the case of the Low Boom Flight Demonstrator, design concepts toward reducing sonic boom and its effects that show promise would ultimately be considered for application/implementation on aircraft being developed by airframe manufacturers.