AOPA Pilot Magazine - August 2023 - 36

BRIEFING
FUTURE FLIGHT /
A BWB future?
WE'VE ALL BECOME accustomed to a standard
airplane design convention: Narrow
fuselage with two wings, an empennage
with vertical and horizontal stabilizers, and
wing-, fuselage-, or tail-mounted engines.
But the pressures brought on by the need
to address environmental concerns has
resulted in some daring new ventures. An
intriguing new effort involves a design with
a blended wing body (BWB).
JetZero, a startup company that says it
originated the BWB concept, is working on
a scaled-down version of what it envisions
as a series of BWBs called the Z-5. The BWB
idea is being pitched at two basic roles-as a
military in-flight refueling tanker or transport
vehicle, and as a long-range airliner able to
carry passengers in a roomy cabin.
With its flattened fuselage merging with
slender wings, and its jet engines mounted
EVENTS /
Centennial celebration
Airshow fun for the whole family
THE EASTERN WEST VIRGINIA Regional Airport/Shepherd
Field (MRB) in Martinsburg, West Virginia, is celebrating the
100th anniversary of the opening of the airport with an airshow
on August 26 and 27. The performer lineup includes multiple
warbirds, a DH-100 Vampire FB-6 jet, the U.S. Army parachute
team Golden Knights, Mark Meredith in his Super Chipmunk,
an F-22 demo, and Skip Stewart and his highly modified biplane
Prometheus. Also present will be static displays and interactive
exhibits, warbird rides, and fun activities for kids.
" As we reflect on the past 100 years, we honor the visionaries
who helped establish our airport and the pioneers who paved the
way for aviation as we know it today, " the airport foundation said.
" We also recognize the hard work and dedication of the many
individuals who have helped to make our airport a vital hub for
commerce, travel, and recreation. "
Gates are open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Tickets may be purchased
online, both general admission and a " Friends of the Airshow, "
which includes prime shaded seating and catered lunch.
wvairshow.com
36
AOPA PILOT / August 2023
Aviator Showcase is back
Come see us at AOPA headquarters
AOPA'S AVIATOR SHOWCASE will be held at AOPA's National
Aviation Community Center in Frederick, Maryland, September
8 and 9. Come visit your association and join hundreds of pilots
and aircraft owners for an exclusive gathering with the industry's
leading experts in avionics and cockpit technology, flight planning
and weather resources, and aircraft manufacturing and sales. Kick
off the show on Friday, September 8, from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., and
then stay for the happy hour to interact with exhibitors. Exhibit
hours continue Saturday September 9, from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m., with
the addition of educational seminars presented by event sponsors.
Looking to upgrade or still searching for the perfect aircraft?
Aviation services such as paint shops, avionics manufacturers,
and aircraft detailers will be here. You can also talk to financiers,
insurers, and dealers about buying the aircraft of your dreams.
Seminars focus on aircraft ownership, products, and technology.
The AOPA Aviator Showcase shows off the industry's latest
products and services. Tours of AOPA headquarters will be offered
both days. Please register in advance; space is limited.
aopa.org/aviatorshowcase
atop its tailless aft body, it's an odd-looking
duck. But that cavernous fuselage can
carry much more fuel than current tankers
or airliners, and the Z-5's flat-looking
shape creates less drag and more lift than
conventional tanker-transports.
The environmental benefits include,
presumably, that the Z-5's engines would
be able to burn SAF (sustainable aviation
fuel-a drop-in, non-Jet-A fuel of biological
origin), which would lower carbon
emissions and pollutants. Noise would be
less, JetZero says, because the engines are
atop the aft fuselage and thus attenuate the
decibels reaching the surface.
There could be another use for that
big cabin: It could hold a lot of hydrogen,
should that become an option in the future.
This would make it a candidate for being
one of the first hydrogen-electric powered
true airliners-an idea that's being tested
on ZeroAvia's Dornier 228 and Universal
Hydrogen's de Havilland Dash 8-300. But
those airplanes are full-scale turboprop
twins. The Z-5 now exists as a much
smaller test article.
This raises a question: Is a proof-ofconcept
BWB scalable up to the size of a
tanker-transport? Or maybe even a nextgeneration
business jet?
-Thomas A. Horne
http://www.wvairshow.com http://www.aopa.org/aviatorshowcase
AOPA Pilot Magazine - August 2023

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