North Carolina has apparently been chosen as the location for a blended-wing-body aircraft manufacturing site, and though the company behind the plan has yet to be named, reports indicate the firm is California-based JetZero.
Several sources say North Carolina intends this week – perhaps on 12 June – to announce the project, which may be located at Greensboro’s Piedmont Triad International airport.
JetZero, one of the the most prominent firms developing a blended-wing-body aircraft, declines to comment. But it notes North Carolina was a finalist among several states it has been considering as the home for a production facility.
The office of North Carolina governor Josh Stein did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
North Carolina media outlet WRAL reported on 10 June that North Carolina and local economic development groups intend on 12 June to announce a major development project. Another source confirms that an announcement related to the location of a planned blended-wing-body production site in North Carolina is to be revealed on 12 June.
Last month, numerous media outlets reported that JetZero had picked three possible locations, one being Greensboro, to house its envisioned manufacturing facility.
JetZero is developing the Z4, a conceptual blended-wing-body aircraft powered by twin turbofans mounted on its upper aft fuselage. The company says the design could have roughly 5,000nm (9,260km) of range and ability to carry some 200-250 passengers, while burning half the fuel of today’s airliners.
JetZero has said it intends to have the Z4 demonstrator, developed in part with funding from the US Air Force and with assistance from Northrop Grumman, flying in 2027. It has aimed for service entry in the 2030s.
North Carolina and Greensboro specifically have a history of attracting start-up aerospace developers working on ambitious projects of uncertain success.
In 2021, North Carolina’s governor signed a bill setting aside $107 million to fund development of a production site at Triad airport for supersonic aircraft developer Boom Supersonic.
Construction of that site wrapped up last year, though Boom appears some time away from bringing its envisioned supersonic aircraft, called Overture, to market.
