Will Blended Wing Aircraft Finally Take Off?

By Garth Calitz

For as long as pilots and aviation enthusiasts have been gathering around coffee pots at airfields, there have been a few certainties. Someone will insist that taildraggers are superior, that Steel aircraft are better than tupperware and someone else will proudly assert that blended-wing aircraft are the future.

The first argument has been raging since the invention of the nosewheel. The second has been going on since composite materials took to the air in the middle of the last century. But the third has always intrigued wannabe engineers since they learned how lift was actually generated.

Yet suddenly, after decades of futuristic artist impressions, wind tunnel tests, and presentations filled with phrases such as "transformational efficiency" and "next-generation sustainable aviation," the blended wing body (BWB) appears to be edging closer to reality.

The question is: Are we finally about to board a flying wing, or are we still twenty years away from seeing one parked at the gate next to the old faithful Boeing 737?

The concept behind the blended wing body is deceptively simple. Traditional airliners consist of a tube with wings attached. Engineers have spent the past century making that tube more efficient, lighter, stronger, quieter, and increasingly expensive.

Then someone eventually asked the obvious question:

"What if the entire aircraft generated lift?"

The result was the blended wing body, a design that resembles a conventional airliner after it has been left out in the African sun and partially melted. The wings and fuselage merge into a single lifting surface, creating a shape that aerodynamicists adore and airport planners immediately dislike.

Piaggio toyed with this concept with their Avante design; they claim that over 20% of the total lift is created by the fuselage, resulting in much smaller wings that enable jet-like performance in a turboprop aircraft.

The Biggest Attraction is Efficiency

Manufacturers claim fuel savings of between 20 and 50% compared with conventional aircraft. Fuel is the largest single operating cost in the airline world. A reduction of even a few % generates excitement in boardrooms. A reduction of 30% causes bean counters to start hyperventilating. It's no surprise that companies such as JetZero, Airbus, Boeing, Nautilus and others are once again investing heavily in the concept.

The Passenger Experience

Of course, engineers and accountants are not the only people who will have to live with these aircraft.

Passengers may have a few questions. For example:

"Why is my seat 20 metres from the nearest window?"

One of the challenges of a blended wing cabin is that many passengers could end up seated far from any external view.

Some travellers already complain when they receive a middle seat. Imagine discovering you've booked Seat 27L and the nearest window is somewhere in the next postal code.

Airlines may eventually need to offer virtual windows, high-definition screens displaying exterior views. This will be a remarkable technological achievement that recreates something aircraft designers accidentally removed.

Turbulence: A New Adventure

In a conventional aircraft, passengers are relatively close to the centreline. In a blended wing design, some seats could be positioned much farther outboard. This means that during turns and turbulence, passengers at the edges may experience movement similar to that of a child enthusiastically swinging a toy aircraft around the garden. The aviation industry will undoubtedly find a sophisticated technical solution. Or they may simply market it as a premium thrill ride.

Airport Compatibility: The Real Villain

The biggest obstacle may not be technology, but airports. Modern airports have spent decades optimising gates, jet bridges, taxiways, baggage systems and maintenance facilities around aircraft that are essentially tubes with wings. A blended wing aircraft arriving at a conventional gate could be like trying to park a manta ray in a bicycle rack.

Airport managers tend not to enjoy phrases such as "major infrastructure modifications." Especially when they are immediately followed by phrases such as "significant capital expenditure", unless it's South Africa, and the possibility of securing the tender looms in the future.

The Military May Get There First

While commercial airlines debate passenger comfort, windowless cabins and how to charge extra for seats that are technically closer to a virtual window, military planners are looking at blended wing aircraft with considerable interest. In fact, the military may ultimately become the technology's biggest early adopter.

The concept is hardly new to defence aviation. The Northrop B-2 Spirit and the newer B-21 Raider have already demonstrated the aerodynamic and stealth advantages of flying-wing designs. A blended wing transport takes that idea a step further by combining exceptional fuel efficiency with enormous internal volume.

The United States Air Force has already shown interest in blended-wing tanker concepts, recognising that every kilogram of fuel saved by the aircraft is another kilogram that can be delivered to fighters and bombers.

There is also the small matter of stealth. A blended wing body naturally presents fewer radar-reflective surfaces than a traditional tube-and-wing aircraft. While future military transports are unlikely to become invisible, they could be considerably harder to detect than today's aerial equivalents of a flying billboard.

If history teaches us anything, it is that military aviation often pioneers technologies that later find their way into civilian service. The jet engine, GPS and fly-by-wire systems all followed that path. So don't be surprised if the first blended wing aircraft you see carrying out regular operations is painted grey, has no passenger windows at all, and is being flown by people who consider turbulence merely a suggestion.

The Cargo Operators Are Watching Closely

Freight operators may become the first major customers, and cargo does not complain about window seats. Cargo does not mind sitting in the middle of the cabin. Cargo never asks if there is a vegetarian meal option.

This makes freight operations an ideal proving ground for the technology. If blended wing cargo aircraft demonstrate substantial operating savings, passenger versions could follow.

South African Possibilities

Will South Africans see blended wing aircraft anytime soon? Probably not anytime soon.

Aircraft such as the Boeing 737, Embraer E-jet and Airbus A320 families will remain the backbone of domestic aviation for many years. Airlines are understandably reluctant to replace proven fleets with what appears to be a giant airborne stingray.

However, should the promised fuel savings materialise, the economics could become difficult to ignore. Imagine a future Johannesburg-to-London service consuming dramatically less fuel while carrying more passengers and cargo. Suddenly, the strange-looking aircraft parked on the apron begins to look very attractive.

The Verdict

The aviation industry is approaching a point where traditional aircraft designs are yielding smaller and smaller efficiency gains. Blended-wing aircraft represent one of the few opportunities for a genuine leap forward.

Will they become a reality? - Almost certainly.

Will they replace every conventional airliner? - Probably not.

Will aviation enthusiasts continue claiming that they are only five years away? - Without question.

In fact, somewhere in the world right now, an engineer is presenting a PowerPoint slide that confidently predicts widespread blended wing operations by 2035. And somewhere else, an airline executive is asking the truly important question: "Yes, but where do we put the business-class bar?"