260. Reshaping Air Freight with Blended Wing Body Design

For more than 60 years, the air freight industry has adapted passenger aircraft for cargo fleets resulting in limited capacity and diminished fuel efficiency. However, a long-overdue shift toward a volume-optimized blended wing body (BWB) design is enabling freight aircrafts to carry 40-50% more in cargo capacity per trip while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions. . Leading the way is Natilus, a company that develops hyper-efficient cargo and passenger BWB aircraft that dramatically improve aerodynamic efficiency and provide a powerful increase in internal volume. The result? Less fuel burn, lower emissions, higher payloads, and lower operating costs. . To learn more, we sat down with Aleksey Matyushev, CEO and Co-Founder, to discuss how Natilus’ next-generation BWB aircraft design can improve economic efficiency and sustainability, as well as the company’s foray into the passenger aircraft space. . We’d love to hear from you. Share your comments, questions and ideas for future topics and guests to podcast@sae.org. Don’t forget to take a moment to follow SAE Tomorrow Today—a podcast where we discuss emerging technology and trends in mobility with the leaders, innovators and strategists making it all happen—and give us a review on your preferred podcasting platform. . Follow SAE on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Follow host Grayson Brulte on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.