JetZero Reveals Revolutionary Midmarket Airliner and Air Force Tanker Design

California-based startup JetZero has unveiled a blended wing body (BWB) design for a midsize commercial and military tanker-transport aircraft. The Z-5 design is optimised for a range of at least 5,000 nm and up to 250 passengers, and is expected to be about half the weight and require half the power of aircraft it replaces, such as the Boeing 767. The reduced weight and power requirements are designed to enable the Z-5 to use derivatives of existing single-aisle engines such as the CFM Leap 1 or Pratt & Whitney PW1100G. The Air Force is due to select a winning proposal by midyear and plans to begin demonstrator flights in 2027.