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Bombardier is thrilled to announce the University of Victoria Centre for Aerospace Research (CfAR) and Quaternion Aerospace as the pioneering academic partners for its groundbreaking EcoJet blended wing body (BWB) business jet study project.
The University of Victoria CfAR, based in North Saanich, British Columbia, specializes in unmanned air systems research, including micro air vehicles, joined wing configurations, and BWBs. Joining forces with Quaternion Aerospace, a local research and development company in Sidney, BC, focused on innovative aircraft designs for both manned and unmanned air systems, Bombardier is set to embark on a journey of collaborative exploration.
The joint efforts involve multidisciplinary teams, comprising Bombardier engineers and technicians from Québec, alongside BC-based researchers, engineers, and students. Together, they are actively engaged in the design and fabrication of the EcoJet flight test vehicles. The collaborative endeavor extends to extensive flight campaigns on BWB scale test vehicles, exploring prototypes’ behavior in free flight and refining their unique flight control laws.
This collaboration marks a significant milestone in Bombardier’s EcoJet project, which began with secret flight tests seven years ago, featuring an 8-ft span scaled demonstrator. The vehicle boasts a mild blended-wing-body configuration, showcasing a slender lifting fuselage, distinctive high-aspect-ratio wings, and a U-tail. Progressing from the initial phase, the project transitioned to an 18-ft. span EcoJet demonstrator that took its inaugural flight in 2022.
The ongoing tests have evolved from evaluating baseline shaping and aerodynamics to the current phase, which concentrates on the intricate systems and design aspects of the interior. Additionally, the project is exploring the potential for a larger sub-scale demonstrator, promising advancements that could redefine the future of business jet aviation. Stay tuned for further updates on this cutting-edge collaboration that aims to revolutionize the aerospace industry.