United Airlines yalengeza za ndalama zoyambira JetZero, yomwe imayang'anira ndege zamapiko ophatikizika (BWB). Kapangidwe katsopano kameneka kakufuna kukonza bwino mafuta a jet ndikukulitsa luso lamakasitomala.
Ndalamayi ikuwonetsa dongosolo lomwe lingathe kufika pa ndege za 100, ndi mwayi wowonjezera 100. Mgwirizano wogula wokhazikikawu umagwirizana ndi JetZero kukumana ndi zochitika zenizeni zachitukuko, kuphatikizapo kuthawa kwabwino kwa chiwonetsero chathunthu ndi 2027, komanso kuonetsetsa kuti ndegeyo ikugwirizana ndi chitetezo cha United, bizinesi, ndi machitidwe ogwirira ntchito.
Mapangidwe a JetZero amachepetsa kukoka ndikukweza kukweza mapiko onse, zomwe zimatha kuchepetsa mpaka 50% pakugwiritsa ntchito mafuta pa kilomita imodzi yokwera poyerekeza ndi ndege zazikulu zofanana. Ukadaulo uwu utha kuthandiza United pakuchepetsa kutulutsa mpweya wake wa kaboni ndikuchepetsanso ndalama zogwirira ntchito.
Mu 2023, US Air Force idapatsa JetZero mgwirizano wa $ 235 miliyoni kuti afulumizitse chitukuko cha ziwonetsero zake zonse. Ndege ya JetZero Z4 idapangidwa kuti izikhala anthu 250 ndipo imagwira ntchito pamafuta wamba, yokhala ndi makina oyendetsa omwe amatha kugwiritsa ntchito mafuta oyendera bwino oyendera ndege.
"Ngati zikuyenda bwino, JetZero ili ndi kuthekera kosintha bizinesi yathu yayikulu popanga ndege zokhala ndi makabati okulirapo, omasuka kwa makasitomala athu ndikuwonjezera mphamvu yamafuta pamaneti onse," atero Andrew Chang, wamkulu wa United Airlines Ventures (UAV). "United Airlines Ventures idapangidwa kuti izithandizira zoyesayesa zathu zopeza makampani anzeru omwe angapangitse makasitomala kuyenda bwino ndikuthandizira ndege kutsitsa mpweya wake, ndipo tikukhulupirira kuti JetZero ikuwonetsa malingaliro amenewo."
"Ndalama zomwe United idachita pakampani yathu zikuwonetsa chikhulupiriro chamakampaniwo kuti ukadaulo watsopano, wotsogola ukufunika kuti akwaniritse bwino komanso kupulumutsa ndalama zomwe zidzafunikire kukwaniritsa kufunikira kwakuyenda kwandege padziko lonse lapansi," atero a Tom O'Leary, CEO komanso woyambitsa nawo JetZero. "JetZero ikuyang'ana pa tekinoloje imodzi yofunika kwambiri - airframe - yomwe imatithandiza kuthana ndi zopinga zonse za kukula. Pulogalamuyi ndiyo yokhayo yomwe ikukula masiku ano yomwe imalonjeza kuchita bwino komanso mwayi wapamwamba wamakasitomala."
Mapangidwe a ndegeyo ndi njira yolowera ntchito ya JetZero imalimbana bwino ndi zovuta zamakampani. Maonekedwe ake aerodynamic komanso kukwera kokwera kwapaulendo kumathandizira kuti magwiridwe antchito azigwira bwino ntchito. Mwachitsanzo, ndege yochokera ku New York/Newark kupita ku Palma de Mallorca, ku Spain ikuyembekezeka kuwononga mafuta ochepera ndi 45 peresenti poyerekeza ndi ndege zomwe zikuyenda panjira imeneyi. Kuphatikiza apo, ndegeyo ikuyembekezeka kuphatikizika mosasunthika ndi zida zomwe zilipo kale, osafunikira kusintha kwa milatho ya jet, njanji zowulukira, kapena ma taxi.
Kuphatikiza apo, mapangidwewa akulonjeza kupititsa patsogolo luso la okwera popereka malo okhala, mipando yokulirapo m'makalasi onse, komanso kusungirako modzipereka kwa wokwera aliyense. Njira yokwerera imakonzedwanso ndi khomo lalikulu lomwe ndi lalitali kuposa la ndege zazikulu zofanana, zomwe zimathandiza kuti tinjira zingapo komanso malo okwera anthu kuti azigawira bwino. Kuonjezera apo, ikhoza kupititsa patsogolo mwayi wopezeka kudzera m'mipata yotakata komanso zimbudzi zofikirako olumala, kupangitsa malo oyenda bwino kwa onse okwera ndi ogwira nawo ntchito.
Mgwirizano wapakati pa JetZero ndi Air Force cholinga chake ndi kupititsa patsogolo luso laukadaulo ndi luso la airframe, ndikuwunikira zomwe zingachitike popereka dipatimenti yachitetezo ndi gawo lazamalonda njira zina zochepetsera kugwiritsa ntchito mafuta komanso kutulutsa mpweya. Mapangidwe awa amatha kutengera masinthidwe osiyanasiyana a ndege zankhondo, kuphatikiza zoyendera zapamlengalenga ndi mitundu ya matanki owonjezera mafuta, zomwe pamodzi zimayimira pafupifupi 60% yamafuta amtundu wapachaka a Air Force.
Kuphatikiza apo, United Airlines Ventures, thumba la ndalama zamabizinesi ku United, limalola oyendetsa ndege kuyika ndalama m'makampani omwe apanga tsogolo laulendo. UAV yaika ndalama m'mabizinesi oyambira omwe akupanga matekinoloje apamwamba kwambiri omwe angathe kusintha kupita patsogolo kwamlengalenga, kupanga phindu kwa makasitomala ndi magwiridwe antchito a United, ndikuthandizira cholinga cha United chokwaniritsa kutulutsa ziro zonse pofika 2050.
