Today I heard some rumblings about Boeing’s response to the Airbus A380 on some other boards I hang out on. And man, after a little digging, lemme tell ya I LIKE what may be out there:NewTechSpy has a blurb about the blended wing concept aircraft which may be called the BWB, if Boeing sticks to the 7x7 nomenclature. And this single paragraph is probably staining the trousers of Airbus’ Board of Directors:
There are several big advantages to the blended wing design, the most important being the lift to drag ratio which is expected to increase by an amazing 50%, with overall weight reduced by 25%, making it an estimated 33% more efficient than the A380, and making Airbus’s $13 billion dollar investment look pretty shaky. High body rigidity is another key factor in blended wing aircraft, it reduces turbulence and creates less stress on the air frame which adds to efficiency, giving the BWB a tremendous 8800 nautical mile range with its 1000 passengers flying comfortably at mach .88 or 654 mph cruising speed (another advantage over the Airbus tube-and-wing designed A380’s 570 mph).
If Boeing actually goes through with this, Airbus will be like a deer caught in the headlights of not just a car or truck…but an oncoming super jumbo jet! Stay tuned.
There are several big advantages to the blended wing design, the most important being the lift to drag ratio which is expected to increase by an amazing 50%, with overall weight reduced by 25%, making it an estimated 33% more efficient than the A380, and making Airbus’s $13 billion dollar investment look pretty shaky. High body rigidity is another key factor in blended wing aircraft, it reduces turbulence and creates less stress on the air frame which adds to efficiency, giving the BWB a tremendous 8800 nautical mile range with its 1000 passengers flying comfortably at mach .88 or 654 mph cruising speed (another advantage over the Airbus tube-and-wing designed A380’s 570 mph).
If Boeing actually goes through with this, Airbus will be like a deer caught in the headlights of not just a car or truck…but an oncoming super jumbo jet! Stay tuned.
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