Bombardier Unveils Inaugural EcoJet Collaborators

Bombardier has identified its initial research collaborators for the EcoJet initiative, which seeks to achieve a 50 percent reduction in emissions from business jets through advanced aerodynamic blended-wing-body (BWB) designs. The Montreal-based manufacturer announced on Wednesday that it has engaged two Canadian partners—Quaternion Aerospace and the University of Victoria’s Centre for Aerospace Research (CfAR)—to collaborate on the EcoJet project.

Quaternion Aerospace, a research and development firm based in British Columbia, specializes in creating energy-efficient aircraft designs and provides consulting services to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) such as Bombardier.

On the other hand, CfAR boasts significant expertise in the development of autonomous uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) or drones for research, commercial, and military applications. The institution has a track record of designing, building, and testing scaled demonstrator aircraft, including the first two EcoJet technology demonstrators.

Afzal Suleman, the director of CfAR and a mechanical engineering professor at the University of Victoria, commented on the collaboration, stating, “Through this partnership, our students and researchers are gaining critical real-world skills while contributing to the advancement of sustainability and reshaping the possibilities for the future of the global aviation industry.”

The EcoJet program, launched by Bombardier 15 years ago, aims to achieve its emission reduction goals through innovative BWB designs. The first subscale demonstrator—a BWB drone with an eight-foot wingspan—was flown in 2017. The team revealed its second, larger technology demonstrator at EBACE 2023, with flight testing commencing in 2022.

Insights gained from the flight-test campaign are aiding the understanding of BWB geometry’s aerodynamics and flight control qualities, contributing to the targeted 20 percent fuel savings. While the demonstrator currently employs Bombardier-modified off-the-shelf jet engines, the choice of a propulsion system for the full-scale BWB business jet remains undecided.

Bombardier envisions an additional 20 percent emissions reduction through the use of sustainable aviation fuels and hybrid engines, with further savings expected from technological advancements like weight-saving techniques and materials.

Stephen McCullough, Senior Vice President of Engineering and Product Development at Bombardier, acknowledged the pivotal role of partners in the EcoJet research project, emphasizing the importance of sharing credit for the disclosed aspects of the flight-testing program.

According to Bombardier, the partnerships with CfAR and Quaternion represent the first of several collaborations planned with businesses and academic institutions in Canada. The initiative involves multidisciplinary teams, including Bombardier engineers and technicians in Québec and researchers and students in British Columbia.

Kevin Hall, the President of the University of Victoria, emphasized that this collaboration marks a significant stride towards sustainability, a greener future for the aviation industry, and the advancement of cutting-edge technologies in British Columbia and throughout Canada.