The basic design of commercial airplanes hasn’t changed much in the past 50 years. Modern airliners like the Boeing 787 and the Airbus A350 have the same “tube and wing” form factor as the Boeing 707 and the Douglas DC8, which were built in the late 1950s and is still in use today. This is because commercial aviation prioritizes safety, favouring tried-and-tested solutions and because other developments — in materials and engines, for example — mean the traditional design is still relevant.
However, as the industry desperately looks for new ways to reduce carbon emissions, it faces a tough challenge than other sectors precisely because its core technologies have proven so hard to move away from. The time might be ripe to try something new.
One proposal from JetZero is the “blended wing body.” This entirely new and innovative blended wing design aims to improve fuel efficiency by....
