AMC's Future Strategic Airlifter: The Blended Wing Body?

Abstract

Abstract : What is the future design of Air Mobility Command (AMC) aircraft? One possible answer is a blended-wing-body design. The research problem examined in this report is to determine if a future Blended-Wing Body (BWB) aircraft will be more capable as compared to a more conventional design, the C-17. This research shows the capability of the BWB configuration using an AFIT-developed model called AMPCALC and a cost analysis based on those results. There are two major issues when assessing a BWB aircraft: capability and fuel savings. This research tries to answer if a BWB aircraft, such as being designed by Boeing with NASA and the AF Research Labs, is more capable than a C-17 and what are the potential fuel savings for operating a BWB aircraft over the C-17. This is an early look into the BWB configuration and its merits for consideration as a potential strategic airlifter. The BWB design must now be evaluated to be considered as a future replacement for current AMC airlift aircraft. This research gives decision makers an idea of the possible benefits of this revolutionary concept.