With the aim of drastically reducing carbon emissions, to meet growing environmental guidelines, Airbus has unveiled their blended wing aircraft prototype at the 2020 Singapore Airshow.
Named MAVERIC (Model Aircraft for Validation and Experimentation of Robust Innovative Controls) the aircraft boasts a bold new design form, in the shape of a blended fuselage and wing with high-mounted engines.
Rather than being a computer rendering, Airbus has actually been secretly testing a real MAVERIC test frame, since June 2019, at an undisclosed location in central France. Testing of the scaled prototype will conclude sometime in the second quarter of 2020, where Airbus will then assess the data collected and refine their work.
In its scaled form MAVERIC comes in at two metres long and 3.2 metres wide, with a total surface area of 2.25 metres squared. Airbus says the disruptive design of the aircraft has the potential to reduce fuel consumption by up to 20 percent, compared to today’s single-aisle aircraft.
Although the majority of the fuel burn reduction comes from the blended design, the aircraft also allows for new propulsion types and integration; including the position shown in the photos.
Whilst the idea of having engines mounted in the twin vertical stabilisers has already raised questions about safety, it is important to note that this is a basic prototype with the aim to determine aerodynamic performance and its rough capabilities.
Thanks to the design of the aircraft, Airbus has been able to propose a wildly new cabin concept; including an overall wider and more spacious seating environment, more aisles and more space for new features.
Cabin mock-ups show technological advancements in products we already have today, including newer seats likely based on their smart cabin platform, advanced lighting zones to increase comfort and cabin walls with artificial windows that can display flight information.
“Airbus is leveraging emerging technologies to pioneer the future of flight. By testing disruptive aircraft configurations, Airbus is able to evaluate their potential as viable future products. Although there is no specific time line for entry-into-service, this technological demonstrator could be instrumental in bringing about change in commercial aircraft architectures for an environmentally sustainable future for the aviation industry.”
Jean-Brice Dumont, EVP Engineering Airbus
Despite no set time for entry into service of an aircraft of this design, the next wave of short to medium haul aircraft is expected in the early to mid 2030s; meaning components from MAVERIC could be 10 to 15 years away from carrying passengers.
The rough design of blended wing/fuselage aircraft has been around since the 1940s, where Germany successfully built the Horton Ho 229. Other modern developments include the Boeing X-48, the Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit and the upcoming B-21 Raider.
Whilst the prospects of such design mostly look facilitating to the everyday viewer, various challenges need to be overcome; including the controls for such an aircraft, as blended designs are notorious for being hard to control, requiring complex fly-by-wire systems and a sophisticated set of balanced control surfaces.
Another issue that has to be overcome is sensations of movement. Since passengers will be seated further out from the centre of the aircraft, passengers will move a greater distance during turns. The result of this is increased chances of motion sickness and greater physical demand during busy stages of flight, such as takeoff and landing.
As well as MAVERIC, Airbus is also working on other programs aimed towards the environment; including the E-FAN X hybrid-electric propulsion demonstrator, Fello’fly (_v-shaped formation flight) and ATTOL (Autonomous Taxi Takeoff and Landing) which was recently shown on an A350.
By harnessing the increased power of computers and material innovations, Airbus hopes to create a disruptive set of new technologies ready to be used for the next generation of aircraft; meaning the conventional tube and wing design may not be around in the next 20-30 years.
What are your thoughts on this development?
This concept has been bouncing around for many decades. Every time I read about it there is never a mention of the 90 second evacuation rule (which even the Airbus 380 meets). I would hate to be the poor sod sitting right in the middle of economy in the event of an emergency. Maybe they will just install ejector seats for everybody.
As i mentioned last week as of a reply i made on the B777-9X test flight news page,Boeing have already studied this idea of a flying wing and are still probably doing further study as of engine size increases?
The engines are getting bigger and bigger and soon aircraft will be raised so much ,it will look like they are on skittles! So the best way is to expand into AIR not TARMAC ! So both makers are making serious studies into these flying wing concepts,tail-mounted engines or rear-wing adaption for engines!
At the moment if RR stick to it,the RR-Ultrafan will be at its biggest option 3.55m (FAN) plus add another meter for engine covers etc i suppose! So 4 to 5m overall diameter needs a higher ground clearance! So whether making aircraft sit even higher and higher off the ground will and i suppose it must do, effect “LIFT” it would be a better design to situate engines somewhere else!
Boeing is looking at 3 engines in a row at the tail-end and Airbus mounting like a DC-10 in huge tail-fins! I suppose this look is still well-off as a off the design board ready for production product! Probably not for another 30 years!! Depends on cost per unit in the end and what new benefits the design is capable of doing for airlines in range,peformance etc.
I think maybe the first flying wing maybe will be a supersonic design?? There does seem to be a niche market growing for faster travel once again as the world has got richer of late but whether airlines really want it,not sure?? The Arabic airlines i feel will be the only ones interested as they have the money to back the project up for orders etc. Virgin Atantic may be the ONLY EU airline that may acquire such a type!
It depends what these flying wings are being designed for,people,range,cargo,speed?? Along way off yet!
That so called plane is an horror ! Airbus should develop the A380 neo instead of that rubbish.