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Blended-wing aircraft could be the future of flight: Check out the leading concepts

Posted on by L. Dreeye
Blended-wing aircraft could be the future of flight: Check out the leading concepts

  • Blended wing aircraft could be the future of commercial aviation.
  • Airbus and startups JetZero and Natilus are leading the development of these more efficient flying wings.
  • These aircraft boast up to 50% reduction in fuel consumption and a uniquely shaped passenger cabin.

Aircraft manufacturers are racing to create the plane of the future as airlines demand more efficient planes.

Among the most likely concepts is a “blended wing” aircraft, combining the fuselage and wing into one unit. This is different from the traditional tube and wing design that has been the norm since the advent of commercial aviation.

According to the US Air Force, which plans to use the design in a prototype, the versatile wing can reduce drag by up to 30%, helping to reduce the amount of fuel required.

Several companies have announced plans to build these unique vessels by the 2030s, including startups JetZero and Natilus, as well as longtime aircraft manufacturer Airbus. Boeing is researching a hybrid wing, but has no plans to create one yet.

Natilus and JetZero are starting from scratch and targeting different markets, but they have the same main goal: breaking up the Airbus-Boeing duopoly.

Natilus is developing a 200-passenger narrow-body plane called the Horizon to fill an expected aircraft capacity gap over the next 20 years, while JetZero plans to build a giant 250-passenger wide-body plane called the Pathfinder to replace aging Boeing 767s.

Airbus will be able to maintain its market leadership with its 200-passenger ZEROe hybrid wing concept. The company has decades of experience designing commercial aircraft and is an industry leader with its popular Airbus A320 family of similar capacity.

All three companies have found what they believe is the secret sauce in the giant flying wing. It aims to significantly improve fuel consumption, open up a wider cabin and offer airlines higher overall economics while maintaining route and infrastructure needs.