Aircraft with a body design that also doubles as a wing have been tested since 1924. This design will increase the wingspan with the body also generating lift when the aircraft flies. But this design is less stable and only the use of computers allows aircraft like the Northrop-Grumman B-2 Spirit to fly safely.
After almost a hundred years of this innovation being introduced in the aerospace world, the United States Department of Defense (DoD) wants to make the Blended Wing Body design a reality by 2026.
The company with the design was asked to send it to the DoD for selection and then awarded a contract to build the first prototype by 2026. The partner had to have aerodynamic efficiency 30% better than a Boeing 737 or Airbus A330. With the use of more modern engines, the aircraft must have 60% better fuel efficiency compared to existing aircraft.
Two years ago Airbus showed the MAVERIC passenger plane concept (Model Aircraft for Validation and Experimentation of Robust Innovative Controls) which uses the body as a wing. Boeing is collaborating with NASA to produce the X-48 UAV also with a similar design.