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By Scott Hamilton

Figure 1. The Horten flying wing developed by the Germans toward the end of World War II. Credit: Michael Jorgensen via BBC.

May 12, 2025, © Leeham News: The Blended Wing Body airplane concept has been around for decades. Its cousins, if you will, appeared in the form of flying wings. The Germans developed the Horten at the end of World War II; it never made it into service.

Northrop Grumman developed propeller- and jet-powered flying wings after World War II. Neither concept was picked up by the US Air Force.

Figure 2. The Northrop YB-49 flying wing developed post-World War II. Credit: Northrop.

It wasn’t until development of the Northrop Grumman B-2 bomber that the flhing wing, or Blended Wing Body, aircraft became an operational reality.

Figure 3. Northrop Grumman B-2 bomber. The similarities with the JetZero Z4 BWB are apparent. Credit: Northrop Grumman.

But none has been able to make the leap into commercial aviation service. JetZero hopes to make this leap in the early 2030s, but it’s got a lot to accomplish between now and then.

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