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Airbus unveiled a futuristic new plane prototype with one giant wing and no separate fuselage

Feb 12, 2020, 22:48 IST
AirbusThe MAVERIC has just one big wing and no separate fuselage.
  • Airbus unveiled a new concept for aircraft design at the Singapore Airshow 2020 with a model test aircraft named MAVERIC.
  • The new design features a blended-wing structure that largely merges the fuselage and wing to give the appearance of one large wing.
  • Similar designs are currently in use with the military and have the potential to reduce fuel consumption, according to Airbus.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

European aircraft manufacturer Airbus has unveiled a model of what it believes may be the future of passenger aircraft designs.

The Model Aircraft for Validation and Experimentation of Robust Innovate Controls, or MAVERIC, debuted at the Singapore Airshow 2020 on Tuesday with a new design for aircraft that seeks to upend the long-standing tradition of tube-shaped aircraft fuselages.

The model reflects what a "blended wing" design would look like, a concept that sees use mainly in military aircraft, for use on commercial planes.

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MAVERIC is currently in the initial stages of development, with Airbus quietly launching the project in 2017 and beginning tests on a small remote-controlled model in 2019.

Though it looks like something out of a science-fiction movie, aircraft with designs like the MAVERIC may become reality if Airbus, one of the world's largest commercial aircraft manufacturers, has its way.

Take a look at what may be the aircraft design of the future.

MAVERIC employs a blended-wing concept, which merges the fuselage and wing of giving the appearance of a flying giant wing with two engines and vertical stabilizers in the back.

Instead of the engines mounted under the wings of the aircraft, they would be attached to vertical stabilizers in the rear and on top of the aircraft.

According to Airbus, the design would have the potential to lower fuel consumption by 20% compared to current aircraft designs, with the blended wing likely allowing for smoother airflow over the aircraft.

Blended wing designs differ from conventional wide-body aircraft designs that have distinct wings and fuselage, with underwing-mounted engines.

A similar aircraft design is currently in use with the US Military, the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber aircraft.

Airbus also showed what the cabin of such an aircraft would potentially look like, offering the idea that a blended wing design would allow for redesigned cabins.

The blended wing design would make the aircraft wide instead of long, potentially forcing cabins to be set side by side instead of back to back.

A wider aircraft also allows for a more open concept on board and making the cabin feel less congested compared to current generation aircraft designs.

Airbus has been one of the leaders in the charge for redesigned aircraft cabins under its Airspace by Airbus program, with its ideas including a "Connected Cabin" that uses technology to make more efficient use of existing cabin amenities such as overhead bins and service trolleys.

Source: Airbus

For now, the most that the program has produced is a 3.2-meter wide remote-controlled model aircraft that Airbus has been testing to determine the program's viability for the past year.

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