JetZero’s blended‑wing body demonstrator seeks >50,000 lb thrust engines

JetZero is developing a blended wing body aircraft that will need more than 50,000 pounds of thrust, and it is evaluating engine options from Rolls‑Royce, GE and Pratt & Whitney.

The program has airline backing from Alaska, United and Delta, and an airline working group is feeding design input, while a demonstrator built with Scaled Composites is planned, with its first flight slated for a future milestone; the aircraft could serve a tanker role for the U.S. Air Force in the Pacific, though its military case remains uncertain and airlift use faces challenges such as landing‑gear design, dirt‑strip operations, ramp integration and the need for a blown‑flap equivalent.