A startup wants to beat Airbus and Boeing with a cargo-focused passenger jetliner

"Airbus' CEO recently said the future of flying is a B2-bomber-shaped "blended-wing body" plane with passengers housed inside the plane's one giant wing for maximum efficiency. Aleksey Matyushev, the CEO of the US aerospace startup Natilus, told Business Insider that his company has taken that vision one step further by redesigning its proposed blended-wing plane, Horizon, with plans to offer more lucrative cargo space while still delivering the 50% lower operating costs and up to 250 seats previously promised."

"Still, the dual-deck idea should be familiar to regulators and airlines, as it is the configuration of traditional tube-and-wing jets where passengers sit in a single level above the cargo hold. When installed on an ultra-wide blended-body, it results in a very cargo-heavy plane. Evo is expected to boast 2,600 cubic feet of dedicated cargo space on the lower level."

Natilus proposes the Horizon Evo, a dual-deck blended-wing jet featuring a passenger level above and a dedicated cargo level below. The design targets up to 250 seats and aims to cut operating costs by about 50% compared with conventional jets. The lower deck would provide roughly 2,600 cubic feet of dedicated cargo space, exceeding typical 737/A320 belly volumes of about 1,300–1,800 cubic feet. The configuration can be built as a designated freighter and could serve as a modern replacement for aging Boeing 757s. A small prototype has flown, but full development and certification remain a lengthy process, with entry targeted in the early 2030s.

Read at Business Insider