Blended wing body designs for aerodynamic, stability, and control optimization: A comprehensive review

Abstract

Blended wing body (BWB) aircraft design represents a transformative innovation in aerospace engineering, seamlessly integrating aerodynamic, structural, and propulsion advancements to achieve unprecedented efficiency and sustainability. This comprehensive review highlights the unique aerodynamic features of BWB configurations, including their superior lift-to-drag ratio, enhanced payload capacity, and reduced fuel consumption, offering a viable pathway to decarbonizing aviation. The study examines critical aspects of stability, control, and propulsion integration, addressing challenges such as the absence of traditional stabilizers, dynamic coupling of control axes, and manufacturing complexity. By leveraging multidisciplinary optimization frameworks, advanced computational tools, and smart material innovations, BWB designs are shown to hold promise for diverse applications, from commercial aviation to military and UAV systems. This review highlights the importance of future research in overcoming scalability, regulatory, and structural challenges to unlock the full potential of BWB technology.