Futuristic jet that could replace faulty Boeing fleet by 2030

'JetZero' aircraft that's modeled after the Stealth Bomber releases 50% fewer emissions than most airliners.

Pathfinder: Revolutionizing Air Travel with Futuristic Blended Wing Body Jet, Poised to Replace Boeing Fleet by 2030

By NIKKI MAIN

May 24, 2024

• JetZero's Pathfinder airplane will reduce fuel and emissions by 50 percent

• Pathfinder is expected to start carrying passengers as early as 2030

A futuristic-looking jet with a 'blended wing body' could soon replace the problematic Boeing fleet when it takes flight in 2030.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recently greenlit test flights of the Pathfinder, which seats 250 passengers inside the aircraft modeled after the US Air Force's B-2 Stealth Bomber.

The craft is expected to have a range of 5,754 miles on a single tank of fuel -  compared to typical commercial airlines that fly up to 4,000 miles. 

JetZero aims to be the 'SpaceX of aviation' by reducing its fuel use and emissions by 50 percent compared to other airlines.

JetZero received FAA approval to start test-flying its Pathfinder prototype that is much smaller than what is planned for the commercial jet 

The craft is expected to have a range of 5,754 miles on a single tank of fuel - compared to typical commercial airlines that fly up to 4,000 miles 

A majority of US airlines employ Boeing to provide airplanes for travelers, but the company has experienced many problems in the last year that has Americans seeking alternatives - and that is where Pathfinder may come in.

The FAA certificate approval JetZero received deems the plans safe enough to start building a full-size Pathfinder model and begin test-flying the aircraft.

The company announced the achievement last week, noting it was the prototype that can now start experimental flights.

'We're happy to report that Pathfinder, our 23-ft.-wingspan, 12.5%-scale version of our full size demonstrator, now possesses an FAA Airworthiness Certificate,' JetZero shared on LinkedIn.  

The accomplishment was made possible by a $235 million investment from the US Air Force last year to help JetZero build a commercial-sized Pathfinder by 2027.

JetZero's Pathfinder was modeled after the US military's B-2 Spirit bomber (pictured)

Pathfinder has a narrower wing span and no tail, which decreases the amount of drag and makes it more light-weight than other commercial planes

While the current prototype is much smaller, the final version will likely look identical - featuring the futuristic-looking blended wing body (BWB).

BWB, a favorite among the US military, means there is no clear dividing line between the wings and the main body of the craft.

The US Air Force has adopted the design for its aerodynamic capabilities.

But, unlike the B-2 Bomber, the Pathfinder has a larger main body and can reach higher altitudes with less fuel.

JetZero also extended the commercial jet's wings and eliminated the tail of standard planes to create a lighter-weight aircraft and reduce the amount of drag.

'If you think about a 'tube and wing,' it separates the loads — you have the pressurization load on the tube, and the bending loads on the wings,' Tom O'Leary, co-founder and CEO of JetZero told CNN last year.

'But a blended wing essentially blends those together. Only now can we do that with composite materials that are both light and strong.' 

JetZero said its planes will offer passengers with more legroom as other airlines have continued to reduce the amount of space offered by two to five inches since the 1980s

The Pathfinder can fly more than 5,700 miles compared to other commercial flights which reach distances of about 4,000 miles

Instead of bolted metal, the BWB uses stitched carbon fiber - a lighter material stitched together to build the wings.

The material is less expensive than the metal alternative, making BWBs cheaper to build and maintain.

'We call this the SpaceX of aviation,' Tony Fadell, a JetZero investor and strategic advisor, told Fast Company.

The JetZero founders honed the Pathfinder prototype for more than three decades before they deemed it good enough to submit for FAA approval. 

'They left to create [JetZero] because this is what the world needs to be able to hit climate goals,' Fadell said, adding: 'It has to happen now because we have an existential crisis.'

JetZero's airlines (left) reduce fuel by 50 percent for its passenger plane, 52 percent for its cargo plan and 45 percent for its tanker plane compared to its traditional counterparts (right)

JetZero started building the Pathfinder model in 1992 and has honed and perfected it to cut carbon emissions and provide a more comfortable experience for passengers

Instead of bolted metal, the BWB uses stitched carbon fiber which is a lighter material stitched together to build the wings.

JetZero's touted carbon emission reduction of 50 percent exceeds that of NASA and Airbus' quoted designs that reduced fuel use by 20 percent.

The company compared its plane seating to today's standard widebody aircraft that typically has three-by-three seats, but the groundbreaking shape of JetZero's plane means it can still seat the same number of people without compromising leg room.

O'Leary told CNN that because the plane has a shorter and wider tube, 'you get the same amount of people, but you might have 15 or 20 rows across the cabin, depending upon how each particular airline will configure it.'

This is in direct contrast to domestic carriers including American, Delta and United that have reduced the amount of legroom by two to four inches since the 1980s to crowd more passengers into the cabin.

'[The shape] gives the airlines more optionality,' O'Leary told Fast Company. 'The airline industry has become a race to the bottom with respect to comfort. 

'But if you can reduce the fuel burn, you can use the savings to make a more comfortable cabin and create larger seats without as much economic penalty.' 

The company is also set to develop three types of planes: a passenger aircraft that will seat more than 200 people, a cargo plane, and a fuel tanker for military use. 

O'Leary and Chief Technology Officer Mark Page have worked on perfecting the aircraft since 1992 and comes at a crucial time when global warming has skyrocketed and aviation accounts for 2.5 percent of global emissions and is projected to increase by 4.3 percent each year.

'I've devoted more than 30 years of my life to refining the blended wing body,' Page told Fast Company. 

'Now we're entering an era that demands emissions reduction on a major scale. When we see the first BWB airliner takeoff, this whole team will feel it's really made a difference.' 

Dailymail.com has reached out to JetZero and the FAA - which declined to comment.

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