Airbus’ remote controlled Maveric aircraft may be a glimmer of green hope for aviation, an industry that is under scrutiny to improve its environmental footprint.
Airbus’ unusually shaped Maveric aircraft is only 3m wide but Airbus have noted the size has the potential to be scaled to the size of a passenger jet. The blended-wing design give the whole whole airframe lift, meaning Maveric can be lighter and smaller than current aircraft, but can potentially carry the same payload.
The aircraft therefore has the potential to meet the industry target to halve emissions from air travel by 2050, compared to 2005 levels.
“There is a really big challenge there. And there is a big expectation from society which we think it is our duty to find answers to,” Sandra Bour-Schaeffer, the chief executive of Airbus UpNext, told the BBC. “We believe that we have to go into a really… breakthrough technology.”
