"This design - known as a "blended-wing body," or BWB - distributes lift across the entire sweeping wing, allowing for heavier carrying capacity and greater efficiency than conventional jets. Faury said a widebody aircraft would be "better suited" for the concept. He added that the BWB benefits come with trade-offs, including the possibility of eliminating windows. Passengers wouldn't receive any natural light, and some could get disoriented or experience claustrophobia."
"The BWB design has a long history. The Northrop B-2 Spirit stealth bomber - often cited as the best-known "flying wing" aircraft - first flew in 1989. Although the BWB concept dates back even further, renewed interest emerged in the early 1990s when McDonnell Douglas explored a blended-wing transport idea that eventually evolved into the BWB-17 in partnership with NASA."
Manufacturers may abandon the traditional tube-and-wing layout in favor of a blended-wing-body with a single thick wing housing the passenger cabin. The BWB distributes lift across the sweeping wing, enabling heavier payloads and greater fuel efficiency compared with conventional jets. Widebody aircraft are particularly well suited to the concept. Potential trade-offs include the elimination of windows, loss of natural light, passenger disorientation, and possible claustrophobia. Emergency evacuations could become more challenging because passengers would lack views outside and those in central cabin locations would be farther from exits. The BWB concept has historical roots and competitive interest among legacy and new aircraft makers.
Read at Business Insider
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