China adds an 800-passenger jet with ‘flying wing’ body to its big aircraft plan
A Chinese research team has unveiled an aerodynamic model for a massive flying-wing passenger aircraft that could carry more than 800 people, marking a bold new entry in the country’s large aircraft programme. Unlike conventional aircraft that have separate fuselage, wings and tail, a flying wing merges most of the structure into a single broad lifting body. The proposed design is 85 metres (280…
China has unveiled plans for an 800-passenger flying-wing passenger aircraft, marking a bold new entry into the country's large aircraft program. The concept, developed by the China Aerodynamics Research and Development Centre, features a single broad lifting body structure that differs from conventional aircraft with separate fuselage, wings, and tail.
The proposed design is 85 meters wide and 43 meters long, with a wingspan roughly 1.6 times that of the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber. While the aircraft does not yet have a public name, researchers describe it as a pioneering project that explores even more radical configurations. The high-aspect-ratio flying wing is expected to offer remarkable aerodynamic advantages, including a high lift-to-drag ratio and low induced drag, which could deliver longer range and lower energy consumption.
The Chinese government is pushing ahead with several other large aircraft projects, including the C929, a 280-seat long-range widebody jet expected to make its first flight around 2030, and the C949 supersonic airliner.
Brief written by urgent.news from Reuters Business via SCMP's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
