Delta Air Lines has agreed to support start-up JetZero’s development of a blended-wing-body commercial aircraft by providing operational and cabin-design input.
In revealing the partnership on 5 March, Delta chief sustainability officer Amelia DeLuca says the arrangement reflects the Atlanta-based airline’s intention to “advance revolutionary technologies” that might help the airline industry curb carbon emissions.
JetZero, based in Long Beach, California, is developing Z4, a conceptual blended-wing-body aircraft powered by twin turbofans mounted on its upper aft fuselage. The company says the design could have roughly 5,000nm (9,260km) of range and ability to carry some 200-250 passengers, while burning half the fuel of today’s airliners.
Blended-wing-body aircraft have wide, non-cylindrical fuselages that curve and blend into the aircraft’s wings, allowing the entire structure, not just the wings, to create lift. The design shares features with both traditional tube-and-wing designs and so-called “flying wings”.
Delta, through its Sustainable Skies Lab innovation arm, intends to provide JetZero with “operational expertise… to bring the innovative blended-wing-body aircraft to commercial viability”.
The airline will also “consult on interior design”, saying that “the uniquely shaped airframe… offers endless possibilities”.
JetZero has said it intends to have the Z4 demonstrator, developed in part with funding from the US Air Force and with assistance from Northrop Grumman, flying in 2027. It has aimed for service entry in the 2030s.
In February, JetZero head of sales engineering and market development Michel Merluzeau made a case for the company’s concept, saying traditional tube-and-wing aircraft cannot deliver the “step change” efficiency gains that airlines seek. He also said the efficiency of turbofans has largely “plateaued” in recent years, meaning engineers must turn to novel ideas like blended wings to meet carbon-reduction targets.
Merluzeau, speaking during an aerospace suppliers conference near Seattle, said blended wings also allow for much wider and more-spacious cabins, making the experience more comfortable for passengers and allowing for faster boarding.
Blended-wing aircraft have been studied for decades, and several companies have worked to advance such designs. Bombardier is now studying the concept under its EcoJet programme.
