Blended-Wing Boeing completes first test flight

July 30, 2007 The traditional airplane shape is well tried and tested, but manufacturers like Boeing are moving beyond the "tube with wings and a tail" design in the push to improve fuel economy and the environmental impact for the next generation of jets. Inspired by "flying wing" designs from earlier decades like 1988's B-2 Stealth bomber, the company has been collaborating with NASA to test the viability of a Blended Wing Body (BWB) aircraft, using a flat, wide body that tapers out to thin wing-tips and aims to strike an effective middle ground between the tube and flying wing designs. A BWB design allows the entire body of the plane to generate lift and reduces drag in comparison to a tube-shaped fuselage - both of which are key factors in reducing fuel usage. The BWB design also provides a much greater cargo and passenger capacity - making it particularly attractive to the military. After months of development, ground testing and wind-tunnel testing, Boeing flew its first BWB prototype last week with the 8.5 per cent scale, 500-pound X-48B aircraft reaching 7500 feet before a successful landing under remote control.

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