Airbus has revealed MAVERIC (Model Aircraft for Validation and Experimentation of Robust Innovative Controls), its “blended wing body” scale model technological demonstrator.
At 6ft 5in (2m)-long and 10ft 5in (3.2m)-wide, with a surface area of about 24sq ft (2.25m²), MAVERIC has a “disruptive aircraft design,” that Airbus believes 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 what Airbus calls a versatile cabin for a totally new on-board passenger experience.
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.
Jean-Brice Dumont, EVP engineering, Airbus, commented: “Airbus is leveraging emerging technologies to pioneer the future of flight. By testing disruptive aircraft configurations, Airbus is able to evaluate their potential as viable future products.
“Although there is no specific time-line for entry-into-service, this technological demonstrator could be instrumental in bringing about change in commercial aircraft architectures for an environmentally sustainable future for the aviation industry.”
