JetZero looks beyond Pentagon to airlines with radical jet
By Valerie Insinna and Tim Hepher
WASHINGTON (Reuters) — JetZero, which has won U.S. Air Force backing to build a demonstrator for a futuristic aircraft, expects a projected 50% cut in fuel consumption to open the doors of the airline industry as well the Pentagon, its chief executive said.
The U.S. Air Force on Wednesday announced a $235 million contract for the California startup to develop a «blended wing body» demonstrator, named because its wings merge seamlessly with the curvaceous fuselage, reducing drag.
The concept has been around since the 1940s but has attracted renewed attention because of its efficient elliptical shape, saving fuel and boosting range.
The demonstrator is expected to fly in 2027 and could influence the design of future military cargo jets and aerial refuelers. The Air Force hopes to begin buying a next-generation tanker in the mid-2030s and has its eyes on designs that could offer greater range and stealth needed in the Asia-Pacific.
While military contracts could offer JetZero a chance to break into aircraft production, it also eyes a much-touted gap in the civil market between medium- and long-haul jets, where its 200-250 seat aircraft will sit, CEO Tom O'Leary said.
Boeing (NYSE:BA) abandoned a «middle of the market» plane project in 2022, saying the case did not work. Airbus has focused on expanding smaller models.
In an interview, O'Leary said this would not deter JetZero and its radical design.
«We're beginning conversations with all of the airlines and finding out what their appetite is for aircraft in the middle market,» he told Reuters.
«There's been universal interest and appeal because they're all interested in fuel efficiency and emissions reductions.»
Two people familiar with
Read more on investing.com
