As soon as you tickle in the gradual arrival of the Chinese manufacturer Comac that the usual duopoopo of the Boeing-Airbus civil aviation already sees a new participant to delight it (potential) future great contract. The American company United Airlines has announced to invest in the new Californian company Jetzero. Small feature: The airplanes developed by Jetzero do not resemble those of Boeing or Airbus, we prefer to talk about “flying wings”.
The amount of United Airlines Ventures investment in the Jetzero project has not been revealed, but the association is promising: if the new Californian company meets the development objectives, uncomfortable in the theft of a real -size demonstrator in 2027 and provided that the plane meets the conditions in terms of flight safety, the US airline could order up to 200 airplanes and another 100 as an option.
To achieve this, Jetzero has concluded collaborations with other industrial partners: Pratt & Whitney to integrate the PW2040 engine, Thales for flight orders. Another airline also participated in the project: Delta Airlines signed an association agreement in March 2025 to work on the development of technologies.
A flying wing with improved capabilities
The model developed by Jetzero, called Z4, is part of the category of integrated fuselage aircraft (“combined wing body” -BWB), that is, a fuselage that integrates the wings (wings) into one piece as much as possible. Derived from flying wings, the concept was experienced for military aircraft, typically the B-2 spirit and the B-21 Raider of Northrop Grumman, but also for Dassault Aviation Dassault Drone Demos.
If the interest in this way is based on the stealth for military aviation, that is, to be discreet in front of the opposite radars, in the field of civil aviation, the benefit would be especially to offer planes that consume less fuel and, therefore, more profitable. Jetzero also indicates that the Z4 would show a 50% reduction in fuel consumption compared to an aircraft of similar dimensions.
Jetzero specifies that, in the civil field, your plane could transport 250 passengers. Among the other possible uses of Z4 are cargo transport (civil or military), as well as flight supply for military aircraft. Jetzero also received $ 235 million from the United States Air Force in 2023 to work on the development of its prototype.
The new Californian company shows its ambitions in terms of passenger experience: larger seats, more space for luggage and better accessibility, markedly, broader and more functional ranges.
Industrial restrictions
If the BWB offers aerodynamic advantages and, therefore, reduces energy consumption, contains some restrictions. Some are linked to the manufacturing processes that must be “reviewed by A Z”, according to the expert contacted by BFM Business and adapt the industrial tool. It is easier to make cylindrical fuselages than airplanes with complex shapes such as Z4.
The pressurization of the cabin is also a limiting factor, explains the expert: “It is much easier to press a section in the form of a cigar as a plane (or a submarine) than an interior with different forms.”
The restrictions linked to the laws of physics on which Jetzero engineers are working to be able to offer an economically profitable plane in terms of exploitation and maintenance.
Source: BFM TV
