Noise

simpleflying.com/.../

Thanks Roger

Is it just for noise reduction though or are there other benefits? 

The knock on benefit fro cost is is the reduction in weight - to meet the same acoustic standards as before, quite a lot of  what is in effect high temperature lagging can be removed. Less weight, as always in a plane, equates to better power to weight / fuel efficiency  etc. And compared to alternatives, quite cheap and low risk to retrofit to current designs. I'd expect to see something like this done on more and more designs over time.

Messing with the inlet side, though that is also noisy,  is more dangerous as there  is a risk of creating an ice trap, and then chunks of it fall in.

Mike.

Thanks Mike.

I believe the Max 8's are generally more fuel efficient than their predecessors even though they carry more passengers!

Although saying that, I think the cabin is quite tight with the extra seats in. Especially those near the additional set of emergency exits where you're up close and personal with a cabin crew member on a jump seat next to the door and literally in your face facing you!  

I can't say I could sense any noise reduction in the cabin though but then again I always have a pair of noise reducing earbuds with me (essential equipment when flying 'cattle class') . 

I'm going to be soooooo annoying on my next flight!  

The next big thing,

In the next few years expect the fixed winglets that break up the votices created and shed at the wing tips to be replaced by ones that can move around to optimize fuel consumption at more than one speed.

https://www.wired.com/2009/02/new-wing-tips-w/  The actual idea is not actually that new, but the fixed tips being added in the last few years came from research in the 1980s - flight approvals take a long time compared say to car designs.

image from www.boeing.com/.../article_03_1.html

Mike.