Airbus Unveils Blended Wing Aircraft Demonstrator at Singapore Airshow

Airbus unveiled MAVERIC (Model Aircraft for Validation and Experimentation of Robust Innovative Controls) “blended wing body” scale model technological demonstrator on Tuesday at the Singapore Airshow (February 11-16).

At 2 metres long and 3.2 metres wide, with a surface area of about 2.25m², MAVERIC features a disruptive aircraft design, that has the potential to reduce fuel consumption by up-to 20% compared to current single-aisle aircraft. The “blended wing body” configuration also opens up new possibilities for propulsion systems type and integration, as well as a versatile cabin for a totally new on-board passenger experience, the company said in a statement Tuesday.

Launched in 2017, MAVERIC first took to the skies in June 2019. Since then the flight-test campaign has been on-going and will continue until the end of Q2 2020.

Through AirbusUpNext, a research programme, Airbus is currently working on a number of demonstrator projects in parallel; E-FAN X (hybrid-electric propulsion), fello’fly (v-shaped “formation” flight) and ATTOL (Autonomous Taxi Take-Off & Landing).