The model of a so-called flying wing was tested in China. The passenger aircraft should be able to transport up to 300 people particularly efficiently.
It is still a scaled-down model: the BWB-300 flying wing is doing a test flight. (Source: Twitter / Zhao DaShuai)
- Students at China’s Northwestern Polytechnical University have tested the model of a flying wing.
- Called the BWB-300, the aircraft is reminiscent of the X-48B flying wing developed by Boeing and NASA.
- It is still BWB-300 and a tenfold smaller model.
One could argue that the BWB-300 is some kind of remote-controlled airplane or drone. This is because the model airplane, which has been reduced in size tenfold, cannot yet accommodate passengers. The test served to discuss the possibilities of series production. The aim is to build a flying wing with a capacity of 300 seats.
With the so-called flying wings, the wings merge almost seamlessly into the fuselage, which breaks with the usual design. Flying wings, also known as blended wing body airplanes, are difficult to spot with flight radar. However, the focus in the development of such passenger aircraft is on potential fuel savings.
On the other hand, flying flights are considered less stable in flight operations than the established competition. The Boeing X48-B never got beyond the status of an experimental aircraft. But here, too, a model airplane was initially developed and tested at Stanford University.
It is unclear whether China is aiming for series production of the flying wing. As of today, there is no aircraft of this type in series flight operations. However, there is no shortage of sometimes curious attempts. For example, the African start-up company Macrobat presented this unusual concept of an electric aircraft. Last summer, the Stratolaunch Roc – the largest aircraft in the world – set a new altitude record.
Don’t miss anything with the NETWORK-Newsletter
Every Friday: The most informative and entertaining summary from the world of technology!