US AIR FORCE SELECTS STARTUP JETZERO

TO BUILD BLENDED WING BODY DEMONSTRATOR

On 16 August 2023 US Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall announced that startup firm JetZero has been chosen to build a demonstrator aircraft with a blended wing body (BWB) by 2027, which the US government hopes will prove out a revolutionary design to meet the needs of future military refuelling and cargo missions, as well as commercial flights.

"There is real potential in this technology to help increase fuel efficiency significantly and this is going to lead to improvements in not just the efficiency and capabilities of our force, but also in our impact on the climate," Kendall said during an event hosted by the Air & Space Forces Association. The sleek, flying wing-shaped BWB, whose name derives from the jet's wings and fuselage blended together, leaving no clean break between the two is a concept that has existed for decades and previous subscale demonstrators have been tested, like Boeing's X-48 built in partnership with NASA. JetZero's BWB will be a full-scale demonstrator, as the programme's solicitation specifically called out applications for tanking, cargo and even commercial applications.

For the project, on the US government's side the Air Force is teamed with the Defence Innovation Unit and NASA. It is unclear what other companies may have been in competition for the $235 million demonstrator award. Like Boeing, Lockheed Martin has previously explored innovations in new aircraft designs, such as its hybrid wing body jet for NASA. Neither company immediately responded to requests for comment.