Discover Horizon, the plane of the future which promises greener flights and greater comfort

Industry manufacturers aviation are looking for new ways to reduce their broadcasts carbon amid a scenario in which demand for flights has increased and in which the goal of reaching net zero emissions by 2050 is pursued.

Among the proposals that were presented, is the use of sustainable aviation fuel .

According to figures collected by cnn , can help reduce flight emissions by 80% when produced and used appropriately.

This way, could represent two-thirds of the emissions reductions needed to achieve the above objective.

However, this remains rare and It is assumed that it will represent only 0.53% of all jet fuel consumption in 2024. .

Faced with this situation, some manufacturers suggest that using aircraft with a completely new shape could help reduce fuel consumption and emissions .

They propose that The use of “combined wing” aircraft may prove more favorable in this regard than the “tube and wing” design. that is to say the one that we have seen for decades in commercial copies.

Already in 2020, Airbus has created a small-scale demonstration model for testing, which could save up to 20% on fuel e, according to company data.

Three years later, in 2023, JetZero has announced plans to develop an aircraft of a similar design, but capable of seating more than 200 people .

Since the signing, they have planned that This copy could enter service in 2030 .

Among the innovative proposals that have been presented in this area, the Natilus, a company based in San Diego, California, in the United States.

The company is working on a mixed-wing aircraft that seeks to carry around 200 passengers, while generating half the emissions and using 30% less fuel than other models current with which it seeks to compete, such as the Boeing 737 and the Airbus A320.

And to this is added that the signature It also promises that travel in this model will provide greater comfort than that of other aircraft.

The model name is Horizon, a model that is also expected to enter service in 2030. .

Natilus CEO and co-founder Aleksey Matyushev said cnn that They previously announced an unmanned cargo plane that also uses this form. which they named Kona.

He reported that the mixed-wing fuselage design originated in the 1990s based on the efforts of McDonell Douglas, a company that merged with Boeing in 1997.

Although the latter never commercialized a plane of this type, he looked at the concept and made one without a pilot called X-48.

By Natilus They said they have already received 400 orders for the Kona. and that it will be built and flown as a full-scale model over the next two years.

The technology they used to develop this specimen will also be placed inside the Horizon. » said Matiushev.

“One of the challenges of blended-wing fuselage design is stability and control. . I think this is where McDonnell Douglas and Boeing really stumbled: How to stabilize the plane?

Although he stated that the implementation of certain flight control systems could help in this regard, Natilus, like JetZero, chose to implement a new type of design of the surface of the plane.

“There is a 30% reduction in aerodynamic drag, but at the same time the weight of the aircraft can be reduced to accommodate the same number of passengers or cargo. which is very unique,” ​​Matyushev told the aforementioned media.

And he went further: “With a small plane, you have smaller engines, which generate less fuel consumption” .

“SO, When the two come together, it starts to generate a reduction (in emissions) per passenger seat of around 50%. “, he added.

Matyushev clarified that The Horizon will use current engine technology .

“There is a recurring joke in aviation: never put a new engine in a new plane. It’s too risky “, said.

And regarding its design, he assured that The Horizon will be able to enter the same spaces as other planes, so airports will not be required to make any modifications. in its infrastructure.

The aeronautical analyst Aviation News Limited Gary Crichlow said cnn that These types of proposals constitute a “window of opportunity” .

Nevertheless, He added that “this window is very narrow.” .

“A key selling point for operators is similarity in terms of flight crew qualifications. . “The success of the 737 Max and A320neo is due in large part to their ability to easily integrate into existing 737 and A320 operations respectively – flight crews require very little additional training for the transition. »

Although he acknowledged that all new aircraft face challenges, he stressed that The Horizon “will have a completely different seating and cargo plan,” so it will also need “a completely different flight and cabin crew.” .

“Avoiding this operational headache and providing support when it happens, reliably and at scale, is likely the biggest challenge Natilus will face. convince potential customers to buy the Horizon, rather than wait for a more traditional replacement, the 737 Max or A320neo.

Along with this, he said that “the challenge for any design from scratch has always been the huge initial cost to develop and certify it “.

Concerning this last point, he specified that “conventional aircraft such as the 737 Max 7 and 10, the 777-X, the A321neo XLR and the COMAC C919 have been confronted, and in some cases are still confronted, significant regulatory delays compared to the initial deadlines of their manufacturers “.

“With a design as different as the mixed-wing fuselage, I would expect the regulators to be even more careful.” Crichlow said.