As far as commercial jet goes, the aerospace industry is going through a shake-up phase. There is a couple of companies working to revive supersonic air travel and then there was the KLM and Delft University of Technology’s proposal of a Flying V fuselage jet, the most radical design change to a passenger aircraft since Airbus A380. Now, a California aerospace startup JetZero also wants to completely change the passenger jet’s design with a “blended-wing body.”
Though JetZero is not the first to propose a blended wing design; Airbus previously did and it even had a demonstrator. JetZero is working with the US Air Force, NASA, and the FAA for “entry-into-service by 2030.” The aircraft is slated to launch in 2030 with 100% SAF compatibility. Speaking of which, the FAA has recently approved the 1:8 scale model dubbed Pathfinder for test flights to evaluate its stability and control and put the innovative landing gear system to its paces.
But why a blended wing body design? Well, here’s what JetZero has to say:
“Our aircraft dramatically improves aerodynamic efficiency over traditional tube designs which are fundamentally unstable and require large tail surfaces, creating yet more weight and drag.
The Blended Wing is a naturally stable design requiring no tail surfaces, which eliminates unnecessary complexity. A shorter, wider fuselage is blended together mimicking the wing to provide lift. This reduces the surface needed, creating a lighter aircraft with less drag.
The beauty of efficiency is that it compounds. With less drag and weight, the size of the engines is reduced, which further reduces drag and weight. The result is an aircraft with the passenger capacity and range of a small wide body that uses the engines of existing narrow-body planes. This breakthrough fills the mid-market gap with an aircraft that achieves half the fuel burn and emissions of the aging fleet it will replace.”
The design can potentially lower fuel consumption by 30%. The blended wing body aircraft is expected to accommodate up to 250 passengers. In summary, JetZero’s blended wing body jet will be ultra-efficient, will have fast turn times for boarding and disembarking, and will have an improved cabin experience.
Notwithstanding its unconventional fuselage shape, JetZero said it will fit the existing runways and gates. It also will be less noisy on the ground. Since the engines are mounted on top, it will sound 4 times farther away than the traditional tube-and-wing plane, said JetZero. Finally, the design is not limited to transporting paying travelers. It can be adapted for freight, or as a tanker for the military. The latter goes without saying since the U.S. military is involved.
Images: JetZero.
