The founders of Seattle-based Outbound Aerospace want to shake up the aviation industry with a blended-wing airplane design that takes advantage of advances in 3D printing and lightweight materials. And they’ve received a commitment of up to $500,000 to help get their idea off the ground.
Outbound aims to take advantage of the same kind of rapid innovation that propelled SpaceX to its leading role in the launch industry. So, would it be too much of a cliche to call it “the SpaceX of aviation”?
“Everyone says they’re the SpaceX of, you know, ‘Z,’” said Jake Armenta, a former Boeing engineer who’s one of Outbound’s founders and its chief technology officer. “But I really hope that we can harness a lot of that energy in our company.”
Even though Outbound hasn’t yet emerged fully from stealth mode, Armenta has recently been sharing more information about the venture and its vision for the future, thanks to a string of positive developments.
