New 'Blended Wing' Aircraft Design

[Lex]

Looks really interesting: https://edition.cnn.com/2023/08/21/travel/jetzero-blended-wing-plane-climate-spc/index.html?utm_source=pocket-newtab-en-gb

[rebbonk]

Look at the proposed developments of the AW52. - The flying wing. The UK were streets ahead until the politicians sold us out.

[Lex]

This country does seem to be obsessed with quick, short-term profits.

[rebbonk]

That is a big problem, Lex. From my days in management, if you didn't deliver a return in 18 months, nobody wanted to know. Plenty of very good ideas were abandoned because of this silly rule!

[Lex]

It's been a blight on the UK for years.

[rebbonk]

It's what happens when you allow the bean counters to have too much power. Yes, financial control is important, but the obsession with quick returns and a lack of investment combined to help kill off the UK manufacturing industry.

In the 70s I was working with equipment dating from WW1, and we were one of the better-equipped parts of the aerospace industry.

[margaret]

What do you think of this ugly designed aircraft?
https://youtu.be/gn-8GOXdLmo


…..

[Lex]

I quite like it.

[rebbonk]

There was one (much older and called a Guppy) at Bruntingthorpe last time I was there. IIRC, it's designed to carry wings for the Airbus? - Though I did see a documentary a few years back where the wings were being taken via water from the UK to Europe.