Aircraft development

JetZero to Prototype Blended Wing Body Aircraft for US Air Force

The Department of the Air Force has awarded California-based aerospace company JetZero a contract to develop a prototype blended wing body aircraft.

According to Air Force Secretary, 2023 Wash100 winner and past Potomac Officers Club even speaker Frank Kendall, being able to transport personnel and materiel across great distances is critical to national security, and BWBs have the potential to provide increased range at lower fuel cost.

Initial flight tests for the BWB are expected for 2027, the Air Force Department said Wednesday.

According to JetZero, its BWB aircraft is designed to operate with reduced carbon emissions and reduced drag. The company expects to launch its first BWB aircraft by 2030.

The BWB concept has been in use since the 1940s and is continuously being researched by the U.S. military and NASA. The Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit bomber is one of the active BWB aircraft within the U.S. military’s fleet.

According to NASA, studies suggest that a large commercial BWB aircraft would consume over 20 percent less fuel than a comparable commercial aircraft. The aircraft would also weigh less, generate less noise and emissions and cost less than a comparable conventional transport aircraft and can operate from existing airports.