The blended-wing demonstrator that is to be developed by JetZero is expected to fly in 2027.
The concept has been around since the 1940s but has attracted renewed attention because of its efficient elliptical shape, saving fuel and boosting range. Boeing abandoned a “middle of the market” plane project in 2022, saying the case did not work. Airbus has focused on expanding smaller models.“We’re beginning conversations with all of the airlines and finding out what their appetite is for aircraft in the middle market,” he told Reuters.
Northrop’s B-2, the world’s first stealth bomber, fired the opening shots of the 1999 Kosovo war, while its newly-revealed B-21 successor also incorporates a bat-winged design.However, blended wing designs have not yet garnered significant support in civil markets. Airbus dropped the concept from candidates for a small hydrogen-powered plane for 2035. It has not ruled out another look later.