Chinese Researchers Detail Concept for an 800-Seat Flying-Wing Airliner

Engineers at the China Aerodynamics Research and Development Centre (CARDC) have published a peer-reviewed paper in the Journal of Aerospace Power detailing a concept for a large flying-wing passenger aircraft, more than two decades after the Airbus A380 introduced the current generation of very large commercial jets.

Rather than a traditional aircraft layout with a separate fuselage, wings and tail, the proposed design merges the body and wings into a single flying-wing structure, similar in shape to the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber. According to Chinese media reports citing the research, the aircraft would measure about 85 metres (280 feet) in wingspan and 43 metres (141 feet) in length — a wingspan roughly 1.6 times greater than the B-2 Spirit's.

Aerodynamics scientist Li Yonghong and his team wrote in the paper that a 'high-aspect-ratio flying wing' configuration offers a high lift-to-drag ratio and low induced drag, which they say could deliver longer range and lower energy consumption than conventional aircraft designs.

The design is intended to carry around 800 passengers, more than the A380 can accommodate. It is separate from China's more near-term aviation plans: the country expects to launch its C929, a 280-seat long-range widebody jet, by 2030, alongside several other aircraft already in development.

The flying-wing concept has not yet been given an official name, and no timeline has been set for building or flying it.