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As global demand for air travel grows, carbon emissions from aviation have risen faster over recent decades than those from rail, road, or maritime transportation.
Solutions to curb this increase have been slow to materialize. Sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) – which, if produced and used correctly, can cut emissions per flight by 80% – could account for two-thirds of the emissions reductions needed for aviation to reach net-zero by 2050. However, by 2024, SAF is projected to make up only 0.53% of total fuel use in aviation, far below the levels required for substantial impact.
While airlines and regulators scramble for ideas to slash emissions, some engineers argue that entirely new aircraft designs are needed to improve fuel efficiency. Moving away from the "tube and wing" design dominant in commercial aviation for a century, they propose a "blended wing body," in which a large wing surface blends with the fuselage, giving the aircraft a unique appearance.
In 2020, Airbus tested a small-scale, remote-controlled blended wing demonstrator, claiming the design could save up to 20% in fuel. In 2023, California-based JetZero announced plans for a similar design capable of carrying over 200 passengers, with hopes to debut it by 2030.
Now, San Diego-based Natilus has joined the race with its Horizon, a blended wing aircraft also designed to carry around 200 passengers. The Horizon model aims to produce half the carbon emissions and use 30% less fuel than current Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 models – the very jets it intends to compete against.
“With all the challenges I believe the industry is facing, for the first time, I think there’s an opportunity to build a plane that rivals Boeing or Airbus,” said Aleksey Matyushev, CEO and co-founder of Natilus.
Natilus, founded in 2016, previously announced an unmanned cargo aircraft called Kona, using the same innovative shape. Matyushev notes that the blended wing concept dates back to the 1990s, initially conceived by McDonnell Douglas before the company merged with Boeing in 1997. While Boeing never brought a blended wing aircraft to market, it did explore the idea and produced a prototype drone, the X-48.
According to Natilus, the Kona has received 400 orders, with a full-scale model expected to fly within the next two years. Much of its technology will be adapted to the Horizon, which will feature a standard cockpit and crew, with a target launch by 2030. This timeline is ambitious, as a new aircraft typically takes much longer than six years to progress from design to full certification.
“One of the challenges with blended wing design is stability and control,” Matyushev explained. “I think that’s where McDonnell Douglas and Boeing struggled – how do you stabilize the plane?”
The aircraft’s wider fuselage opens new possibilities for on-board configurations. “We have about 30% more surface area than a traditional plane,” Matyushev said. “So, what I think many of our customers envision is an upgraded passenger experience. Could you bring back the lounge? Are there other spaces on the plane you could create for long flights?”
Not everything on the Horizon will be novel. The aircraft will use existing engine technology, ruling out hydrogen or electric options. “There’s a classic joke in aviation – never put a brand-new engine on a brand-new plane. That’s too risky,” Matyushev said. For the same reason, the Horizon is designed to fit within current airport infrastructure, just like the Boeing 737 or Airbus A320, avoiding the need for new airport facilities.
[Information sourced from Skai GR]
