For now it only exists as a super-cool two-metre long working model, but it may be the shape of a new Airbus model in a few years: the blended-wing Maveric design that Airbus has been showing off.
The model, with a 3.2-metre wingspan, has been flown at airshows and continues to undergo testing and modification in Airbus's labs. The idea, which is said to have started as a hobby idea by Airbus engineers, envisions a number of innovations, including shielded engines behind the fuselage, a super-wide cabin, low noise levels, and most interesting to airlines, a fuel burn about 20% lower than today's most-efficient designs.
The design, called MAVERIC, for Model Aircraft for Validation and Experimentation of Robust Innovative Controls (you just know they had the name first and figured out the acronym later), will continue test flights while Airbus continues to evaluate its future. Even if never built as a real plane, it may influence future designs.
Comments (0)