ALL newly-manufactured passenger planes could boast just one wing by 2050 as part of a funky US-Air Force inspired makeover.
US start-up JetZero has crafted a uniquely shaped plane with a “blended-wing” body heavily inspired by stealth bombers.
The groundbreaking Pathfinder jet was cleared to fly earlier this year and JetZero says it hopes it’ll help airlines reach net zero by 2050.
The Pathfinder is the 1:8-scale demonstrator plane designed by aviation company JetZero.
JetZero founder Mark Page said previously: “The blended wing is 50 per cent more efficient.
Current SAF production is only around 1.5 million tonnes a year and the Air Transport Association (Iata) estimates that airlines would need 500 million tonnes by 2050 to reach the looming target.
Tom O’Leary, JetZero CEO, told the Financial Times: “The industry is saying we must take action or we run the risk of being regulated into a corner.
“It uses half the fuel, makes half the carbon dioxide compared to a tube-and-wing aircraft, frankly, even with the same engines. Fuel is the largest line item on an airline’s profit and loss statement.”
He added: “A JetZero blended wing cuts that line item in half. That’s not just a competitive advantage; in the future, it’ll be survival.”
Both Airbus and Boeing have pledged that their aircraft will be able to fly on 100 per cent Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) by 2030.
They promised existing planes would use up to 50 per cent SAF alongside conventional jet fuel.
The unique aircraft is a collaborative effort by JetZero, Nasa, and the US Air Force.
IATA also says reaching the 2050 target would cost a staggering £95 billion a year but says insists it is “feasible”.
The jetliner is unlike any other aircraft currently on the market, with up to 250 passengers set to enjoy a massive cabin with theatre-like seats.
It resembles a design used by military aircraft such as the iconic B-2 bomber.
Jet Zero plans to start its flights with a full-scale demonstrator in 2027.
From above, the plane looks a bit like a stingray, with a flat belly that smoothly blends out into a pair of wide wings.
There are many benefits to the plane’s bizarre shape which make it attractive to commercial aircraft giants Boeing and Airbus.
It is a hybrid plane – a cross between a flying wing and a traditional “tube and wing” – so can cruise at higher altitudes on less fuel.
The plane’s blended wing allows the entire aircraft to generate lift, minimising drag, which “helps to increase fuel economy and creates larger payload (cargo or passenger) areas in the centre body portion of the aircraft”, according to Nasa.
The jet has a magnificent wingspan close to 200 feet and its body length is shorter than the Boeing 767 – which it is intended to replace.
JetZero said the Z-5 “will be about half the weight and require half the power of aircraft it replaces, such as the 767”.
EasyJet has already placed orders for the sustainable jet and Alaska Airlines is one of its investors.
