By Rachel S. Cohen

Thursday, Aug 17

作者：雷切尔 S.科恩

2023年8月17日，星期四

 

A rendering of the blended wing body prototype aircraft. On Aug. 16, the Department of the Air Force selected JetZero to build and fly a blended wing body prototype aircraft in 2027. The effort aims to mature the technology and demonstrate its capabilities, giving the department and commercial industry more options for future air platforms. (Air Force graphic)

混合机翼体原型飞机的渲染图。在8月16日，美国空军选择JetZero公司在2027年制造和驾驶一架混合翼体原型飞机。这项努力旨在成熟技术并展示其能力，为部门和商业行业未来的空中平台提供更多的选择。（空军图片）

 

JetZero, an aerospace startup focused on fuel-efficient jets, will build and fly a sleek new prototype aircraft that could one day join the Air Force’s mobility fleet, the service announced Wednesday.

JetZero公司是一家专注于节能喷气式飞机的航空航天初创公司，该公司周三宣布，该公司将制造并驾驶一架时尚的新原型机，有朝一日可能加入美空军的机动机队。

 

The Z-5 airframe — a blended wing body design with an oblong fuselage and long, skinny wings that looks more like a B-2 Spirit bomber than it does a Boeing 747 — was chosen over one other competitor in a yearlong contest led by the Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit. JetZero will ready a full-scale prototype for its first flight in 2027.

Z-5机身 — 是一种混合翼身设计，长方形机身和细长的机翼，看起来更像B-2“幽灵”轰炸机，而不是波音747。在五角大楼国防创新部门领导的为期一年的竞赛中，Z-5机身被选中，而不是其他竞争对手。JetZero公司将为2027年的首次飞行准备一架全尺寸原型机。

 

The decision marks a new milestone in aircraft design and offers a glimpse into a more capable, greener future for the Air Force inventory. Service officials praised the offering as a key development that will position the U.S. military to outpace Chinese technology and outmaneuver its forces in a potential conflict.

这一决定标志着飞机设计的一个新的里程碑，并为空军库存提供了一个更强大、更绿色的未来。服务官员称赞此次提供是一项关键进展，将使美国军方在速度上超过中国技术，并在潜在冲突中超过其军队。

 

“We’re going into this new area where it’s all about bringing capabilities … to the Air Force, the warfighter [and] the commercial space,” JetZero Chief Executive Officer Tom O’Leary said at an Air and Space Forces Association event to unveil the plan.

JetZero公司首席执行官汤姆·奥利里在航空航天部队协会公布该计划的活动上表示：“我们将进入这个新领域，为空军、作战人员和商业空间带来能力。”

 

The Pentagon’s renewed focus on the Pacific as its top priority has placed a premium on assets that can travel farther and faster without breaking the bank. Cargo and tanker aircraft are expected to fly into harm’s way more often, spurring the military and defense industry to reimagine the large, slow platforms for contested areas.

五角大楼重新将太平洋作为其首要任务，这使得能够在不倾家荡产的情况下走得更远更快的资产得到了重视。货机和加油机预计将更频繁地飞入危险地带，这促使军事和国防工业重新构想有争议地区的大型慢速平台。

 

And the sooner that mobility assets can reach their destination, the more flexibility it gives the rest of the joint force on the battlefield.

机动资产越早到达目的地，就越能为战场上的其他联合部队提供灵活性。

 

“Greater range increases lethality. Fuel efficiency conserves our energy resources and allows us to generate more sorties,” said Ravi Chaudhary, the Air Force’s assistant secretary for energy, installations and environment. “In an era in which installations will no longer be the sanctuary they were in previous conflicts, this capability is going to be critical.”

美国空军负责能源、设施和环境的助理部长拉维·乔达里说：“航程越大，杀伤力就越大。燃油效率节省了我们的能源资源，使我们能够进行更多的飞行架次。”“在一个设施将不再是他们在以前的冲突中成为的避难所的时代，这种能力将是至关重要的。”

 

The service last summer described blended wing body design as “one of the single most impactful technology opportunities for future U.S. Air Force aircraft.”

去年夏天，该服务将混合翼身设计描述为“未来美国空军飞机最具影响力的技术机会之一”

 

That approach flattens a traditional tube fuselage into a more aerodynamic, somewhat triangular shape to carry payloads where the wing meets the body and be less visible on radar.

这种方法将传统的管式机身变平成一个更符合空气动力学、有点三角形的形状，以便在机翼与机身相遇的地方携带有效载荷，并且在雷达上不太可见。

 

The comparatively lighter design could be around 50% more efficient than a traditional mobility aircraft and able to travel twice as far — a goal that, if achieved, could substantially shrink one of the Air Force’s significant annual expenses as well as its environmental footprint. Air Force aircraft and bases guzzle around 2 billion gallons of fuel, costing many billions of dollars, each year.

这种相对较轻的设计可能比传统的机动飞机效率高出50%左右，飞行距离是传统飞行飞机的两倍——如果实现这一目标，可能会大大减少空军每年的巨额开支及其对环境的影响。空军飞机和基地每年消耗约20亿加仑的燃料，耗资数十亿美元。

 

JetZero’s partnership with Northrop Grumman on the Z-5 has received $40 million in government funds in fiscal 2023, Chaudhary said. The military will put $235 million toward the initiative through 2026, plus more from private investors.

乔达里说，JetZero公司与诺斯罗普·格鲁曼公司在Z-5项目上的合作关系在2023财年获得了4000万美元的政府资金。军方到2026年将为该计划投入2.35亿美元，外加更多的私人投资者。

 

If flight tests are successful, Air Force officials may consider a version of the JetZero aircraft to replace the C-5 and C-17 transport aircraft or to follow the KC-46 tanker.

如果飞行测试成功，美空军官员可能会考虑使用JetZero公司飞机的版本来取代C-5和C-17运输机，或者接着取代KC-46加油机。

 

Chaudhary said the Air Force will simultaneously build up the supply chain and other logistics it needs to transition the prototype to a full-fledged program, if the service taps it to make the jump into real-world operations.

乔达里说，如果空军将同时建立供应链和其他后勤设施，如果该服务能够利用它进入实际运营，将原型过渡为一个成熟的项目。

 

But Maj. Gen. Albert Miller, Air Mobility Command’s director for strategy and plans, cautioned against viewing the jet as the sole solution for the Air Force’s next-generation airlift and air refueling programs.

但空军机动司令部战略和计划总监阿尔伯特·米勒少将警告称，不要将这架飞机视为空军下一代空运和空中加油项目的唯一解决方案。

 

At the least, it could offer a new perspective on the fuel efficiency and stealth qualities that workhorse aircraft will need in the future, he said.

他说，至少，它可以为主力飞机未来所需的燃油效率和隐形性能提供一个新的视角。

 

The Air Force said in a press release the same day that “several military transport configurations are possible” using blended wing body aircraft. Officials also hailed its potential applications for commercial air travel as well.

空军在同一天的新闻稿中表示，使用混合翼身飞机“可以进行多种军事运输配置”。官员们也对其在商业航空旅行中的潜在应用表示欢迎。

 

“This project is a win-win for the commercial industry as well as for the DoD,” Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said. “This is going to be a pathfinder project that’s going to make a big difference.”

空军部长弗兰克·肯德尔说：“这个项目对商业行业和国防部来说都是双赢的。”“这将是一个探路者项目，将产生巨大的影响。”