The X-TS Advanced Multirole Aircraft, designed by Alexander LePage and Christopher Richards at the University of Central Florida, carries its engines atop its wings. The unusual design won an honorable mention in the 2008 Fundamental Aeronautics Student Competition, NASA announced on July 7.

Putting the engines on top deflects noise away from the ground and helps the aircraft take off on a shorter runway.

In addition, the engines were designed to accommodate current and future fuel technologies, including "the integration of hydrogen fuel-cell engines, when the technology becomes available," LePage and Richards said.

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