JetZero Marks ‘Massive Milestone’ As Demonstrator Build Advances

LONG BEACH/MOJAVE, California—As JetZero’s blended wing body (BWB) demonstrator takes shape, the airframer is touting a new milestone for future certification, as it targets a commercial entry into service in the early 2030s.

As of this spring, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has moved JetZero into its Integrated Certificate Management Office (AIR-500), and out of the division designated for emerging technologies. The development advances JetZero’s Z4 commercial variant toward Part 25 certification.

“This is FAA taking us out of a four-year familiarization process in AIR-600,” JetZero CEO Tom O’Leary said at a Media Day in Long Beach. “The only people in this [AIR-500] group—Boeing, GE, Pratt—are the American companies who certify engines or airframes for Part 121 airline service providers, and so this is a massive milestone.”

JetZero plans to file for type certification later this year and aims to enter into production before the end of 2030.

“Until just two months ago this organization and division inside of the FAA—prior to us moving in—only had one large U.S. airframe manufacturer,” Bethany Davis, head of Z4 Program & Certification, highlighted.  

At Northrop Grumman’s Scaled Composites facility in Mojave, components of JetZero’s demonstrator are in build, including two cockpits—one flight article and one for pressure testing—fuel tanks, and windshield surrounds. In a central area of Scaled’s facility, fuselage assembly has begun—in another, MD-11 and Boeing 757 landing gears await testing prior to integration. Fabrication of wing skins is also commencing.

A large-scale oven for curing the low temperature composites will be built around the demonstrator’s wing, to accommodate its size. JetZero’s demonstrator has a planned wingspan of 185 ft., compared to the Z4’s 213 ft.

A recently disclosed addition of V-tails hasn’t thrown off timelines, Scaled President Greg Morris confirmed during a facility tour. The specialty manufacturer is building the demonstrator front-to-back, beginning with areas of more certainty. “We started with the front before we knew what the back design was,” Morris said, an approach enabled by its facility, optimized for speed and agility. Adding strength where needed is easily done, he noted. “It’s darn close to trivial.”

Overall design milestones for the demonstrator are on track and on-budget, JetZero said, as it works toward first flight in late 2027. Less than 20 flights are planned for the demonstrator, activity aimed at validating not only performance of the first full-scale BWB, but also something less tangible—and perhaps just as critical.

“What does a full-scale aircraft bring? Number one, it brings belief,” O’Leary said in Long Beach. Internally, “we all believe in the future and this mission ... but the whole ecosystem needs to believe.” He told reporters, “We want to see that plane flying over the Olympics, if we can.”

Significant milestones remain. While its demonstrator will be outfitted with two Pratt & Whitney PW2040s, JetZero is navigating through the back half of an engine selection process for the production Z4. In June, the effort moved into the third of four phases, a commercial solutions opening (CSO) process, as the U.S. Air Force continues supporting studies with the Big Three engine manufacturers, JetZero explained.

“This is where the U.S. Air Force is funding these manufacturers to really mature and develop a comprehensive plan to help inform JetZero in the very methodical process that we are going to go through on engine selection for the Z4,” Davis said. JetZero expects the final phase, development, can begin in the first quarter of 2027. “The whole propulsion industry is actively engaged, pursuing and proposing solutions,” O’Leary added. “CSO drives propulsion.”

In parallel, JetZero is focusing on a number of other long-lead items and is actively working with all three major landing gear suppliers, “so that we can make sure that landing gear is not what’s holding us up in our schedule,” Davis noted. In the cabin, “we have seats at the same amount of long lead item as we have engines, structures, and landing gear, so we’re working that now with all of the seat manufacturers and suppliers.”

Airline Input

Meanwhile, international and domestic airlines have been providing design feedback, with meetings involving management and crew. Flight attendants have tested galley and cabin configurations through a full flight service simulation inside an on-site cabin mockup featuring a spacious central galley; Mechanics have given input on engine access panels and other practical considerations; while test, technical, line and standards pilots have tested control laws in JetZero’s flying qualities lab.

“It’s really been a tremendous amount of progress this last year, where airline customers have come in and—hands on—been helping us make sure that we understand what is unique and special to their operation that needs to be incorporated into the airplane design,” Davis said.

Up to this point, three U.S. airlines have publicly announced support or partnership with JetZero: Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and Alaska Airlines. Beyond those commitments, JetZero’s airline working group comprises 15 members and is preparing for its fifth meeting in November. The gatherings are each themed around certain topics and have so far covered ground handling and operations, propulsion, and cabin design. At the fourth meeting, JetZero shared with the group how their feedback was incorporated.

Among the changes implemented since last year is the addition of direct lift control.

Potential future operators of the Z4 BWB are seeking optionality, flexibility, engine durability, and efficiency gains, while remaining able to operate within existing infrastructure. Today, design of the Z4 is “fairly mature” from the inside out, executives shared. Serial production of the Z4 will take place in Greensboro, North Carolina, where JetZero recently broke ground for its new manufacturing and assembly facility.

Window Of Opportunity

Looking ahead to milestones still to come, executives see opportunity in their timing, particularly as Boeing pushes out development of a narrowbody successor. Continuing to build and test, JetZero also plans to announce a fundraising series C by this time next year, which O’Leary expects will be “quite a bit bigger” than its $175 million series B.

Presenting its first Global Market Outlook at the June 26 media event, the startup airframer foresees global demand for 45,950 new production aircraft through 2045, including 36,250 narrowbodies. Within that, JetZero sees middle market demand for around 12,000 airframes.

“What we will capture is a subset of that 12,000,” Michel Merluzeau, Head of Market Development, said. “The Z4 is engineered to bridge this market gap, delivering mission flexibility and operating economics that enable it to address a substantial broader route network than a conventional tube and wing airplane.”

A trajectory of sustained industry growth will pressure manufacturers, the supply chain, and certification infrastructure, the company forecasts, as global GDP roughly doubles and 1.6 billion people join the middle class by 2045, mostly in emerging markets. Overall, it sees demand remaining resilient through the next two decades, despite continued constraints and external challenges. JetZero envisions ramping to peak production during the 2040s.

For nearer-term, the company outlined four priority pillars: fundraise, build/test, industrialize, and commercialize.

“The great unlock for Jet Zero towards the massive opportunity in this market—we believe the biggest for a certified aircraft ever in history—begins with the filing of the application for the type certificate, so that’s an exciting year ahead of us,” O’Leary said. “I look forward to coming back to you next year and explaining how we hit it on time, and under budget.”