Design of the Blended Wing Body Subsonic Transport

TheBoeingBlended-Wing–Body (BWB)airplane concept represents a potentialbreakthrough in subsonic trans-port ef ciency. Work began on this concept via a study to demonstrate feasibility and begin development of this new class of airplane. In this initial study, 800-passengerBWB and conventionalcon guration airplaneswere sized and compared for a 7000-n mile design range. Both airplanes were based on engine and structural (composite) technology for a 2010 entry into service. Results showed remarkable performance improvements of the BWB over the conventional baseline, including a 15 % reduction in takeoff weight and a 27 % reduction in fuel burn per seat mile. Subsequent in-house studies at Boeing have yielded the…