Air Force selects JetZero for blended-wing body prototype plane

The company says the airplane will have its first flight in 2027.

 The U.S. Air Force has chosen California startup JetZero to build and test a wing-shaped airplane—which may influence the design of the service’s future mobility planes.

The service announced the winner of a Defense Innovation Unit-led competition for a blended-wing body prototype on Tuesday at an Air & Space Forces Association event.

“This is a prototype demonstration project that's intended to accelerate the next generation of what may be the large aircraft fleet that the Air Force needs in the future. It's a streamlined design, different significantly from traditional tube and wing design, and it will improve aerodynamic efficiency and mission capability,” said Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall.