Blended wing body

[4] NASA and McDonnell Douglas returned to the concept in the 1990s with an artificially stabilized 17-foot (5.2 m) model (6% scale) called BWB-17, built by Stanford University, which was flown in 1997 and showed good handling qualities.

[7] The N3-X NASA concept uses a number of superconducting electric motors to drive the distributed fans to lower the fuel burn, emissions, and noise.

In this design, the wing blends seamlessly into the body of the aircraft, which makes it extremely aerodynamic and holds great promise for dramatic reductions in fuel consumption, noise and emissions.

[9][10][better source needed] In 2023, California startup JetZero announced its Z5 project, designed to carry 250 passengers, targeting the New Midmarket Airplane category, expecting to use existing CFM International LEAP or Pratt & Whitney PW1000G 35,000 lbf (160 kN) engines.

[11][12] In August 2023, the U.S. Air Force announced a $235-million contract awarded over a four-year period to JetZero, culminating in first flight of the full-scale demonstrator by the first quarter of 2027.

The goal of the contract is to demonstrate the capabilities of BWB technology, giving the Department of Defense and commercial industry more options for their future air platforms.

[13][14] Following this development, JetZero has received FAA clearance for test flights of its Pathfinder, a 'blended-wing' demonstrator plane designed to significantly reduce drag and fuel consumption.

[30] Artists Neill Blomkamp and Simon van de Lagemaat from The Embassy Visual Effects created the photo for the magazine using computer graphics software to depict the future of aviation and air travel.