Can blended wing body aircrafts help decarbonize aviation? Aviation industry giants are developing next generation commercial airplanes with blended wing bodies (BWB) in a bid to increase payload capacity while pushing down fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by 50% compared to conventional alternatives, CNN writes. These aircraft hybridize the flying wing design pioneered in the 1920s and the conventional “tube and wing” design of commercial airplanes over the past 65 years.

Blended wing body? The concept — currently being studied by US aircraft maker Boeing, French aerospace company Airbus, and California-based JetZero — would see the development of commercial planes with efficient high-lift wings and wide streamlined airfoil-shaped bodies that minimize drag and enable the entire aircraft to generate lift, according to research by Nasa. Aircrafts built on the basic concept of the BWB design — including the US flagship long-range stealth bomber B-2 Spirit — have several control surfaces on the trailing edge instead of the conventional tail assembly and have significantly wider wingspans than planes like the Boeing 787s. BWB models — designed using composite materials that are lighter and more durable than conventional metal construction — can potentially slash fuel consumption by over 20 percent while reducing operating costs and noise pollution, the space agency notes.

Higher expectations for emission reductions: JetZero — which trialed a six-foot blended wing demonstrator back in 2020 and has plans to take its first BWB commercial flight to the sky by 2030 — says its BWB technology could halve aviation carbon output when relying on conventional engines and will later be completely net-zero when powered by energy sources like hydrogen. “We feel very strongly about a path to zero emissions in big jets, and the blended wing airframe can deliver 50% lower fuel burn and emissions. That is a staggering leap forward in comparison to what the industry is used to,” co-founder and CEO of JetZero Tom O’Leary told CNN.

JetZero has big plans: Alongside passenger planes, JetZero plans to develop BWB cargo aircrafts and fuel tankers. Last month, the US Air Force said it will invest USD 235 mn in JetZero to support plans to develop a full-scale BWB fuel tanker by 2027. JetZero has not yet secured supply agreements for its BWB planes under development, according to O’Leary, but air carriers are showing interest. “We’re talking to all the major airlines globally already, because they’re excited to hear about the efficiency gains,” he told CNN.

A departure from current plane design: The BWB shape will see cargo and cabin area distributed across the wide fuselage — likely seeing passengers board from the front or the rear of the aircraft, Nasa notes. The closest comparable plane to the envisioned commercial BWB is the Boeing 767 — a widebody, twin-engine aircraft — whose cabin can house 210 passengers, according to O’Leary. “Your typical single-aisle plane has three by three seats, but this is a sort of a shorter, wider tube. You get the same amount of people, but you might have 15 or 20 rows across the cabin, depending upon how each particular airline will configure it,” O’Leary noted.

Nasa has already proven the concept’s viability: Between 2007 and 2012, Nasa completed 122 flight testing campaigns of two unmanned, remote-controlled X-48 BWBs, demonstrating the design’s applicability. Planned BWB models could operate from existing airport terminals across the globe with no infrastructure modifications needed to house the planes, Nasa notes.

But some challenges ahead: One main technical challenge hindering development is “the pressurization of a non-cylindrical fuselage,” according to O’Leary. Conventional tube and wing planes like the Boeing 787 are better adept at maneuvering the expansion and contraction cycles of each flight, he explains. “The blended wing body aircraft holds immense promise as a game changer in the aviation industry, offering the potential for improved fuel efficiency, enhanced payload capacity, and innovative control systems. However, addressing the aerodynamic complexities, ensuring structural integrity, navigating regulatory hurdles, and adapting airport infrastructure are formidable challenges that must be overcome for it to become a reality,” aviation analyst at consulting firm AviationValues Bailey Miles told CNN, adding that these hurdles render JetZero’s target 2030 to fly BWB planes by 2030 “inconceivable.”

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