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JetZero’s Z4 blended-wing body design
ATLANTA—In a departure from traditional tube-and-wing design, JetZero is developing a new blended-wing body (BWB) aircraft that it says will reduce aerodynamic drag by at least 30%, leading to big fuel savings.
Now, the California startup is projecting a similar reduction in the amount of time the jet needs to be taken out of service for maintenance.
JetZero’s digital thread design, in partnership with Siemens, includes fiber optic sensors embedded throughout the aircraft. That will allow operators to comprehensively monitor the airplane’s structure and systems and perform maintenance only when needed, rather than through regularly scheduled checks.
“I’m looking at giving the airplane back around 30%” of maintenance time, Sonny Stern, who leads customer support for the project, said in an onstage appearance at Aviation Week Network’s MRO Americas conference. “Because the airplane is going to be developed in the digital thread, we’ll be able to do a lot more with condition-based maintenance.”
JetZero is under a $235 million U.S. Air Force contract to develop a multi-use BWB demonstrator that is scheduled to fly in 2027. The demonstrator is being built in partnership with Northrop Grumman’s Scaled Composites. JetZero hopes that will pave the way for development of a military tanker that could also be repurposed as a 250-260-passenger jet, entering service in 2030 or 2031.
Delta Air Lines announced in March that it plans to play a “crucial role” in development of JetZero’s aircraft, describing the BWB design as “a solution within reach.” The airline will also consult on the aircraft’s interior, seeing “endless possibilities” presented by the airframe’s unique shape. Alaska Airlines has also publicly declared serious interest in the aircraft.
The concept of condition-based maintenance is hardly new. But Stern believes technological advances have made it more viable. “I know Airbus tried to do this on the A350 and Boeing on the 787,” he said. “But we’re in a more realistic time.”
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