Transporting passengers while saving energy: the European aircraft manufacturer Airbus unveiled this Tuesday, at the Singapore air show, a reduced flying wing model with the silhouette of a manta ray. With a length of two meters by 3.2 wide, this large flat V is surmounted by two empennages on which the engines are integrated. A profile that studies new architectures for airliners of the future.
This project, called Maveric, is a technological demonstrator, a kind of prototype intended to validate the feasibility of a concept, which has "the potential to reduce fuel consumption by up to 20% compared to current single-aisle aircraft", as the A320 or Boeing 737, says Airbus.
Launched in complete secrecy in 2017, a model of this aircraft made its first flight in June 2019.
No timetable for commissioning
"Although there is no specific timetable for commissioning, this technological demonstrator could help evolve the architectures of commercial aircraft towards an ecologically sustainable future for the aeronautical industry", says Jean-Brice Dumont, Vice-President of Airbus in charge of engineering.
The air transport sector accounts for around 2% of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, according to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), and exceeds road or rail transport in terms of emissions per passenger per kilometer. Pressured by calls for a boycott of the plane, airlines and manufacturers have embarked on a vast effort to halve their emissions in 2050 compared to 2005.
Technological breakthroughs
In addition to the benefits that light materials can bring, biofuels or synthetic fuels, manufacturers are working on several potential technological breakthroughs. Among these is electric hybrid technology, on which Airbus is working with its E-Fan X demonstrator. Onera, the French aerospace research center, has for its part developed its Dragon demonstrator which has a multitude of electric motors placed under the wings and powered by turbo generators running on kerosene.
The engine manufacturer Safran, for its part, relies on open rotor technology, a non-faired propeller instead of reactors that would reduce fuel consumption by a third.