Commercial planes have always stuck with one singular design -- the "tube-and-wing" configuration we're all familiar with. But another design, which has been around since the 1920s, may be taking off from runways as early as 2030 if JetZero has its way.
JetZero is one of a handful of companies, including Boeing Co. (BA) -) and Airbus, that are looking to design a more eco-friendly, fuel-efficient aircraft. As a solution, engineers are looking to military aircraft for inspiration. The blended-wing aircraft is shaped more like the B-2 bomber, with flattened wings and a shorter, wider fuselage.
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Aviation Week looks back over three decades at the story of the blended wing body and its potential future roles as a tanker-transport and sustainable airliner for the 2030s. #blendedwingbody
— Aviation Week (@AviationWeek) August 16, 2023
Take a look at the photos >> https://t.co/8dzsnizPk5 pic.twitter.com/e5EETFoZnF
The design is predicted to provide more fuel efficiency, generate greater lift, and minimize drag, making it a much greener alternative to your standard airplane. NASA has been experimenting with the design's viability with its own experimental plane, the X-48.
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“An aircraft of this type would have a wingspan slightly greater than a Boeing 747 and could operate from existing airport terminals,” NASA says of the design. It also said that the aircraft would “weigh less, generate less noise and emissions, and cost less to operate than an equally advanced conventional transport aircraft.”
JetZero is determined to have this kind of plane on its way to commercial runways by 2030 -- and thanks to a $235 million award from the U.S. Air Force, the company could at least have a demo by then. The target goal for the new aircraft is to increase fuel efficiency by a whopping 50%.
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