Page 9 - AAA March / April 2024 Digital Magazine | GBP

Jet Zero Jetzero Tanker Concept

Set for Take-Off

By Geoffrey Thomas

f a picture tells a thousand JetZero has taken over the of the 707 airliner and KC-135
words, then seeing is believ- Gulfstream facility at Long tanker.
I ing – and I have seen the Beach Airport and has both the
JetZero Z5 mock-up and I cer- mock-up and the iron bird on The BWB concept
tainly believe. display. One senses JetZero
Not that I ever doubted the is going to be the SpaceX of blends the airframe
blended wing body concept as it commercial and military aviation. structure and aero-
just makes so much sense and Everything about the operation dynamics to reduce
that common sense is about speaks to professionalism and
a 50% reduction in fuel burn polish. weight and drag while
thanks simply to the shape of the enabling the fuselage
craft. JetZero has now emerged as to contribute to lift.
a major player with a replace-
Tucked away at Long Beach ment for the Boeing 767, 757
Airport on Donald Douglas Drive and A300 market with the Z-5 to JetZero co-founder and CEO
without any fanfare is Jet Zero’s capture the so-called middle of Tony O’Leary tells Asian Airlines
headquarters. In fact, there is the market. and Aerospace that “climate is a
hardly any signage that would great concern and the industry
make you look twice. The concept, uses the same has huge issues with fuel burn
baseline BWB configuration for and razor-thin margins. And
But taking a second and third an advanced tanker-transport that is just the tip of the iceberg.
look are airlines for the possibili- for the U.S. Air Force in a multi- There are so many issues to
ties of this aircraft are enormous role demonstrator reminiscent of address and we are funda-
in the quest for Net Zero by the Boeing 367-80 which in the mentally, not getting a better
2050. 1950s led to the development solution.”

ASIAN AIRLINES & AEROSPACE MARCH - APRIL 2024 | 9