3 Reasons Commercial Aircraft Are Not (Yet) “Flying Wings”

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Flying Wings look cool, they’re futuristic and extremely efficient.

Yet, the commercial aviation industry prefers the standard “Tube with wings and a tail” design.

Here are three reasons flying wings haven’t had their time in the sky.

#1 Controllability

Passenger aircraft are built the way they’ve been designed for safety and stability. A conventional aircraft is far more stable than a flying wing and requires less human piloting and automation to ensure it is controllable and safe.

#2 Comfort

Flying wings will require passengers to sit further away from the aircraft’s center. This would cause them to experience more movement and discomfort than usual during banks and turns.

#3 Pressurisation

All commercial aircraft are pressurised with breathable oxygen so passengers don’t require oxygen masks or other supplemental oxygen delivery systems which can be quite uncomfortable. This pressurised air affects the aircraft’s structure over time, and the cabin can handle this pressure in part because it is a tube. A flying wing will have challenges and risks associated with trying to pressurise it without compromising its structure.

I’ll cover three more reasons in the next post!