History
During the early to mid 1990s, McDonnell Douglas (and later Boeing) studied airliner designs of blended wing body (BWB) configuration. In cooperation with NASA and other research organizations, a small propeller-driven BWB model airplane of 5.2 m (17 ft) wingspan was built, and test-flown in 1997.
In early 2000, Boeing began the construction of the BWB-LSV (Blended Wing Body - Low Speed Vehicle), an unmanned 14% scale vehicle of the BWB transport, to evaluate the design in actual flight tests. In late 2001, the official designation X-48A was allocated to the BWB-LSV.
NASA and its partners have tested six different blended wing body models of various sizes over the last decade in four wind tunnels at the Langley Research Center.
X-48A, 3% scale wind tunnel model
NASA budget cuts killed the X-48A project, but Boeing still wanted to demonstrate the flight controls and contracted Cranfield Aerospace to build two X-48B 8.5%-scale aircraft, a ground control station, support equipment and spares.
"The X-48B prototypes have been dynamically scaled to represent a much larger aircraft and are being used to demonstrate that a BWB is as controllable and safe during takeoff, approach and landing as a conventional military transport airplane," said Norm Princen, Boeing Phantom Works chief engineer for the X-48B program.
Current Developments
X-48B Ship No. 1 began wind tunnel testing on April 7 2006 at the Langley Full-Scale Tunnel at NASA's Langley Research Center. When testing is completed in early May, it will be shipped to NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center in California to serve as a backup to Ship No. 2, which will be used for flight testing later this year. According to the team, both phases of testing are focused on learning more about the low-speed flight-control characteristics of the BWB concept.
Credit: NASA/Jeff Caplan (click to expand)
"The X-48B prototypes have been dynamically scaled to represent a much larger aircraft and are being used to demonstrate that a BWB is as controllable and safe during takeoff, approach and landing as a conventional military transport airplane," said Norm Princen, Boeing Phantom Works chief engineer for the X-48B program.
X-48B Ship No. 1 is the wind tunnel test model. After testing is finished it will be shipped to NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., to act as a backup for a second X-48B prototype. Ship No. 2 is scheduled to be used in remotely-piloted flight testing later this year at Dryden.
"The X-48B prototypes have been dynamically scaled to represent a much larger aircraft and are being used to demonstrate that a BWB is as controllable and safe during takeoff, approach and landing as a conventional military transport airplane," said Norm Princen, chief engineer for the X-48B program at Boeing Phantom Works.
BWB Technology
One advantage Boeing engineers say the concept has over conventional aircract is that it's about 30 percent more fuel efficient than an airplane of similar size that carries the same payload.
"We believe the BWB concept has the potential to cost effectively fill many roles required by the Air Force, such as tanking, weapons carriage, and command and control," said Captain Scott Bjorge, AFRL’s X-48B program manager.
Industry says a blended wing body military aircraft could be in service within 10 to 15 years, if testing and program funding go well. Studies suggest that BWB aircraft, configured for passenger flight, could carry from 450 to 800 passengers and achieve fuel savings of over 20 percent.
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Jul. 26th, 2007 | Boeing Flies Blended Wing Body Research Aircraft
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Mar. 19th, 2007 | Boeing's X-48B Blended-Wing Body Plane Preps for First Tests
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Oct. 27th, 2006 | Boeing to Begin Ground Testing of X-48B Blended Wing Body Concept
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Jun. 15th, 2006 | Air Force Research Lab Tests X-48B Blended Wing Body Aircraft
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Sources & Recommended Websites:
- Boeing Phantom Works
- Flight International
- Global Security.org
- Stanford University - Dep. of Aeronautics and Astronautics
This page was last updated on: 2006-06-14
