New Blended Wing Body (BWB) Aircraft – Is 50% Fuel Reduction a Credible Claim?
New Blended Wing Body (BWB) Aircraft – Is 50% Fuel Reduction a Credible Claim?
Startup companies are convinced the Blended Wing Body (BWB) configuration will revolutionize flight and will use "up to 50% less fuel than today’s commercial jets" (www.jetzero.aero). The US-based companies are JetZero and Natilus. In December 2025, Outbound Aerospace had to shut down, running out of funding. In contrast: "Substantial fuel reduction cannot be expected for passenger aircraft" is the research result from a former HAW Hamburg project featuring a flying BWB demonstrator called AC20230 with a span of 3 m. The presentation guides the audience through the aeronautical disciplines and shows with real numbers and a few equations what to expect beyond unfounded promises and artist's impressions. However, a viable application could be a BWB tanker. Large parts of such an aircraft could remain unpressurized, and like the Northrop B2 bomber, the BWB offers low-observable (stealth) characteristics. Even more important: The U.S. Air Force needs a tanker replacement and has funds available. In 2023, the U.S. Air Force awarded a $235-million contract to JetZero to build a full-scale demonstrator by 2027 in partnership with Scaled Composites (Northrop Grumman).
BWB, Blended Wing Body, aerolectures, Interior Design, Hybrid Flying Wing, Center of Gravity, AC 20.30, Airplane, Computational fluid dynamics, Natilus, Emergency Evacuation, Outbound Aerospace, Boeing, Ditching, Mass Prediction, Flight Test, VELA, Flying Wing, Prof. Scholz @ Zenodo, JetZero, Airbus, Flight Mechanics, Fire Suppression, Wake Turbulence, Air Transport System, aerolectures2026, Preliminary Sizing, Ventilation, Landing Gear, System Integration, Aerodynamic, Wind Tunnel, Square-Cube-Law, Aviation, CFD, Stability, Ground Handling, Aerodrome, Cargo
BWB, Blended Wing Body, aerolectures, Interior Design, Hybrid Flying Wing, Center of Gravity, AC 20.30, Airplane, Computational fluid dynamics, Natilus, Emergency Evacuation, Outbound Aerospace, Boeing, Ditching, Mass Prediction, Flight Test, VELA, Flying Wing, Prof. Scholz @ Zenodo, JetZero, Airbus, Flight Mechanics, Fire Suppression, Wake Turbulence, Air Transport System, aerolectures2026, Preliminary Sizing, Ventilation, Landing Gear, System Integration, Aerodynamic, Wind Tunnel, Square-Cube-Law, Aviation, CFD, Stability, Ground Handling, Aerodrome, Cargo