Air Force Invests $3.5M in Natilus’ Blended-Wing Body Aircraft

Manufacturer aims to develop and demonstrate a full-scale prototype by end of roughly 12-month contract.

Jack Daleo

Wednesday, October 21, 2026 at 07:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

Natilus envisions its blended-wing body Kona serving providing regional airlift, with potential for other military applications. [Credit: Natilus]

Key Takeaways:

The U.S. Air Force is significantly increasing investment in novel blended-wing body (BWB) aircraft, awarding contracts to companies like Natilus and JetZero to develop prototypes addressing capability gaps, particularly in the Indo-Pacific.
BWB designs offer substantial advantages in fuel efficiency (30-50% reduction) and increased payload capacity, with Natilus's Kona specifically designed for "sub-tactical lift" to bridge logistical gaps between small and large tactical aircraft.
Military interest is accelerating the development of optionally piloted and autonomous capabilities for these BWB aircraft, with defense investments expected to also fast-track FAA certification and production for commercial applications, including cargo and future passenger transport.

See a mistake? Contact us.

The U.S. Air Force is ramping up its interest and investment in novel, blended-wing body (BWB) aircraft to address capability gaps in the Indo-Pacific.

The BWB is an offshoot of the tailless, all-wing aircraft concept, or flying wing, which dates back to the early days of aviation. The architecture merges the wing and fuselage, lying somewhere between the flying wing and conventional tube-and-wing. The configuration’s core advantages are fuel reduction, achieved through a high lift-to-drag ratio, and increased payload capacity.