Blended Wing Body

Blended Wing Body, or BWB, designates an alternative airframe design which incorporates design features from both a traditional tube and wing design into a hybrid flying wing configuration. The advantages of the BWB approach are efficient high-lift wings and a wide airfoil-shaped body. This enables the entire craft to contribute to lift generation with the result of potentially increased fuel economy.

Related Topics:
Flying wing - Airfoil - Lift

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The first example of a BWB design is generally credited to be the Junkers G.38 which first flew in 1929 for Luft Hansa (present day Lufthansa). This aircraft, the largest land plane in the world when it first flew, seated passengers not only in the central fuselage but also in the wing structures. At a time when competing aircraft, like the Ford Trimotor, could carry ten to twelve passengers, the Junkers carried over thirty.

Related Topics:
Junkers G.38 - 1929 - Lufthansa - Ford Trimotor

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Currently, both NASA and Boeing are exploring BWB designs under the designation X-48. Studies suggest that BWB aircraft, configured for passenger flight, could carry from 450 to 800 passengers and achieve fuel savings of over 20 percent. NASA has been developing, since 2000, a remotely controlled model with a thirty-five foot wingspan. This research is focused on establishing the base data concerning the lift, stall and spin characteristics inherent in a Blended Wing Body design.

Related Topics:
NASA - Boeing - X-48 - 2000

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