Chinese researchers test blended-wing concept for 800-seat airliner

Researchers at China's Aerodynamics Research and Development Center (CARDC) have unveiled early work on a blended-wing-body aircraft concept intended to carry more than 800 passengers, according to findings described in the Journal of Aerospace.

Unlike conventional airliners with a distinct fuselage, wings and tail, the proposed design merges nearly the entire structure into a single lifting body. The concept calls for an 85-metre wingspan but a length of only 43 metres, dimensions the researchers say would give it roughly 1.6 times the wingspan of the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, which uses a similar flying-wing layout. Its passenger capacity would exceed that of the Airbus A380. The design is intended to cruise at Mach 0.8.

The project remains far from an actual flying aircraft. No public name has been given, and no first flight date has been set. So far, only a stainless steel model at 1:52 scale has been built, measuring about 80 centimetres long and 1.6 metres wide.

That model has been used in transonic wind tunnel testing at speeds between Mach 0.4 and 0.8, according to the researchers, to examine stability and structural deformation under aerodynamic loads. The work is described as conceptual research rather than a program tied to a manufacturer or airline, and further development stages have not been disclosed.