This Zeppelin-shaped business aircraft may seem bizarre to you, but do you know that it’s claimed as the world’s most fuel-efficient commercially viable jet? Dubbed Celera 500L, this unique aircraft is created by Otto Aviation to provide more accessible air travel.
This six-seater business aircraft offers 18 to 25mpg fuel economy, which is approximately eight times better than the same-sized jets in this segment. The maximum cruise speed of this aircraft is around 460 mph with a 4,500-nautical-mile range. This means that this 500L aircraft can fly up to 18 to 25 miles on just a gallon of fuel.
Smooth moves and uninterrupted airflow
Due to the push-propeller layout, this jet can avoid the formation of turbulent airflow over the fuselage. This further enhances the efficiency of the aircraft while its ventral fin offers better strike protection. The unique zeppelin shape of the aircraft creates uninterrupted airflow while decreasing drag by 60-percent than other business jets. All thanks to the laminar-flow design, Celera 500L has better speed, fuel efficiency, and range.
The jet is integrated with the lightweight Red A03 aluminum piston V-12 engine. Plus, each Apex twin six-cylinder bank can work independently. The engine of this aircraft has been certified to operate on biodiesel and Jet AI fuel. This ensures a 50-percent lower fuel burn than other turbine engines in the segment.
Spacious interior
The perfectly rounded shape of the jet allows the interior to be spacious enough to accommodate six large seats. The jet also has 448 cubic feet of volume that properly adjusts the engine behind the pilot’s cabin while a rear prop provides a noise-free in-flight experience.
According to Otto Aviation, this fuel-efficient aircraft has only $328 per hour of operating cost. This price is significantly lesser than other aircraft that have around $2000 per hour of operating cost. Since the results of Celera 500L test flights were very promising, the company is all set to bring this fuel-efficient business jet to market. However, the exact date of its launch has not been revealed yet.