- A startup planemaker announced a 200-passenger "blended wing body" plane to rival Airbus and Boeing.
- Natilus' design aims to improve efficiency by up to 50% and offer cabin spaces unlike any today.
Aircraft manufacturer Natilus wants to build a new type of airliner to rival Airbus and Boeing as the industry demands more efficient planes.
The California-based startup has announced plans for a 200-passenger "blended wing body" aircraft called Horizon. It could hold about the same number of people as a Boeing 737 Max but would look very different — and improve efficiency by up to 50%.
Like the company's in-development "Kona" cargo plane, Horizon ventures away from the traditional "tube-and-wing" design that has existed since the dawn of commercial aviation.
CEO Aleksey Matyushev told Business Insider that the futuristic concept, which combines the wind and fuselage into one, should be ready for a commercial launch expected in the early 2030s.
He hopes the unique offering — with an even more unique cabin — could puncture the industry's duopoly of Airbus and Boeing, which have long dominated the commercial aviation market. Both companies are also battling supply chain issues, and Boeing continues to struggle with quality and production problems.
"We decided to move into the narrowbody market because it's the biggest opportunity over the next 20 years," he said. "40,000 new narrowbody airplanes need to be built in that time, but Airbus and Boeing's capacity outlook shows they can only produce 15,000 each, so we want to fill that capacity."
Airlines have largely moved to narrowbody jets, like the Boeing 737 Max and the Airbus A320neo. These next-generation airplanes have an efficient passenger-to-fuel ratio, are cheaper to operate than bigger models, and can meet versatile route needs from short- and medium-haul to longer treks to Europe and Hawaii from the US.
A more effective way to reduce aerospace emissions
Many airlines are going green in part by introducing the use of sustainable aviation fuels, or SAF.
While the strategy does lower the airlines' overall carbon footprint, experts have previously told BI that biofuel is expensive and won't be available in the quantities needed to hit the industry's 2050 net-zero goal.
Matyushev said the more fuel-friendly BWB design won't solely rely on SAF but instead benefit from less drag and better lift.
"In a traditional tube-and-wing configuration, the wing provides 90% of the lift and the fuselage 10%," he explained. "On a BWB, it's about 60% on the wing and 40% on the fuselage."
Because it's basically one big wing, the plane's design creates a more "cavernous environment" that improves aerodynamic fuel efficiency by 30% compared to traditional planes like the Boeing 737 and the Airbus A320, Matyushev said.
He further explained that, because it can also carry more people and weighs less, Horizon could be up to 50% more fuel efficient per passenger.
And, despite its futuristic shape, Matyushev said Horizon will not require any costly airport infrastructure changes.
Matyushev said Natilus is in talks with two engine manufacturers for Horizon's smaller powerplant. He said making one in-house is too risky and wants to rely on proven technology, but both options will be SAF-compatible.
Fewer windows but more space
Convincing people to sit so far from a window could be tricky.
Emirates, for example, has created digital windows in the center section of some of its airplanes. And people commonly put their window shades down anyway on red-eye and early-morning flights.
"If I take away the windows but give you more legroom and spaces like a kids' playroom and a lounge, I think people will normalize to that," Matyushev said. Horizon is expected to offer 40% more volume than a traditional narrowbody.
Some studies have raised concerns about evacuations on BWB planes because they have fewer exit locations, and the wider cabin means passengers have to move further to get to an exit — something that could be a problem in emergencies where every second counts.
Matyushev said studies analyzing evacuations concerned BWB airplanes twice the capacity of Horizon and that the plane is set to have two cabin levels — think the Boeing 747 or the Airbus A380 — which would provide more exit rows.
Airlines are already buying in
Airlines are frustrated with the duopoly between Airbus and Boeing and are looking for versatile new planes that are more fuel efficient and fit market needs.
Matyushev said Natilus is in talks with several airlines and has had pilots come to test its BWB performance, but declined to share any specific carriers.
Although Horizon has a very different shape than traditional planes, it's controlled like normal, which could make airline and pilot buy-in easier, Matyushev said. Horizon will have a modern cockpit similar to that of Airbus — meaning no yoke and advanced avionics like auto-land.
"Horizon has vertical tails, for example, so it doesn't need fancy control systems to keep that plane stable," he said. "Our secret sauce is mirroring what most airlines and pilots are already using today."
The military already uses jets with a similar wing shape.
Still, building a brand-new jet type won't be cheap or easy, especially getting regulatory approval. The time-tested tube-and-wing design is less risky and easier to produce and certify. Natilus will also need to prove that its lighter BWB design can handle the expected load bearings and that the cockpit offers safe and proven systems for pilots.
Natilus joins a growing list of BWB plane developers. Airbus announced its BWB jetliner in 2020, while JetZero unveiled its "Pathfinder" widebody BWB design in April.