China unveils 800-passenger 'flying wing' jet model

China’s China Aerodynamics Research and Development Centre (CARDC), a key player in the country’s aviation sector, has revealed an aerodynamic model for a groundbreaking flying-wing passenger aircraft. The proposed jet, measuring 85 meters in width and 43 meters in length, merges the fuselage and wings into a single broad lifting body, a design that eliminates the traditional separation of fuselage, wings, and tail. This configuration not only enables the aircraft to seat over 800 passengers—far exceeding the Airbus A380’s 555-seat capacity—but also offers aerodynamic efficiency gains. The wingspan, at roughly 1.6 times that of the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, underscores the scale and ambition of the project.

The flying-wing model is part of China’s broader push to develop next-generation aircraft, including the C929 (a 280-seat long-range widebody jet slated for a 2030 first flight) and the C949 supersonic airliner, which aligns with NASA’s X-59 supersonic technology. While the flying-wing passenger jet does not yet have a public name, it represents a pioneering effort to explore radical aircraft configurations. CARDC, which has contributed to major projects like the C919 narrowbody airliner and the Y-20 transport plane, is positioning this concept as a potential leap forward in commercial aviation, blending capacity, efficiency, and innovation.