(CNN) The basic design of commercial airplanes hasn’t changed much in the past 60 years. Modern airliners like the Boeing 787 and the Airbus A350 have the same general shape as the Boeing 707 and the Douglas DC-8, which were built in the late 1950s and solidified the “tube and wing” form factor that is still in use today.
This is because commercial aviation prioritizes safety, favoring tried-and-tested solutions, and because other developments — in materials and engines, for example — mean the traditional design is still relevant.
However, a seismic shake-up is about to take place. An entirely new aircraft shape has been cleared to take off into California skies. At the end of last month, Long Beach-based JetZero announced that Pathfinder, its 1:8 scale “blended wing body” demonstrator plane, has been granted an FAA Airworthiness certificate and test flights are imminent. READ MORE...
Blended-wing aircraft have a futuristic UFO look, like something out of a 1950s sci-fi flick. While the configuration was tried unsuccessfully by different air forces in the 1960s, at least three aerospace firms are now convinced these aircraft can compete with—and beat—conventional designs, mostly because of the blended-wing’s superior fuel efficiency.
A blended-wing jet, or “flying wing,” as some call the design, is different from other aircraft because it has no definite fuselage, instead blending the wing and fuselage into one construction.
The entire aircraft provides lift necessary for flight. The Flying V, designed by a team of aerospace engineers and students at TU Delft, and the Airbus Maveric, are the two most famous blended-wing designs. Both firms expect their concepts to be in the air by 2035.
US-based startup JetZero is also working on a blended-wing design called the “Jetliner.”
The company says it will not only be more efficient than a similar-sized commercial jet—with half the fuel burn—but will emit four times less noise, thanks to the engines being on top of the jet. The aircraft will also be ready for zero-emissions fuels like hydrogen fuel cells once that technology comes online.
“Traditional tube-and-wing designs have reached the end of the road on efficiency gains,” said Tom O’Leary, JetZero co-founder and CEO. “Our new airframe meets both the climate challenge and the demands of an underserved mid-market segment.” READ MORE...
