Natilus picks CUG to build Kona freighter wings
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Natilus, a San Diego company building the Kona blended-wing freighter, has hired Composites Universal Group (CUG) of Warren, Oregon, to build the wings for its full-scale prototype. According to CompositesWorld, CUG has promised delivery in spring 2027.
The wing uses a conventional spar-and-rib layout, the same basic structure that has flown on certified aircraft for decades. CUG will build it from carbon fibre-reinforced polymer instead of the aluminium used on most of today's wings. Natilus says carbon fibre resists corrosion and fatigue better, and needs fewer parts and fasteners.
Once the wings reach Natilus's San Diego hangar, they will go through coupon and bond-joint tests, then limit-load tests, before the full-scale demonstration flight. The article says the US Air Force has put $3.5 million of R&D funding into the Kona programme.
Why it matters: this is a move from design to a physical wing. It is still a plan, though. The article gives no flight date, and the composite wing has not yet been tested under load.
Is a blended-wing freighter a better bet than a conventional design?
Sources: CompositesWorld