San Diego-based aerospace manufacturer Natilus searching for new building site
Natilus, a venture-backed aerospace company based in San Diego, has announced plans to search for a new site to build blended-wing-body passenger and freighter planes.
The facility will be used to manufacture and produce their regional blended-wing-body freighter Kona, the first of its kind in the world. The facility will also be expanded with a larger production footprint for its 200-passenger Horizon aircraft.
The company’s futuristic-looking planes, aimed at decarbonizing aviation, feature conventionally configured landing gear and a slender fuselage that allow compatibility with existing gate operations and infrastructure at major airports, Natilus says.
The aircraft also has a striking appearance.
“It looks very much like a flying triangle,” said Nolan Giblin, head of Natilus business development.
That shape allows for far less fuel consumption, he said. “In a traditional aircraft, 90 percent of the lift comes from the wing and the rest from the fuselage… with blended wing aircraft it’s roughly 50-50.”
That can reduce fuel burns and emission by roughly 50 percent, according to the company.
Aviation supply chains anticipate strain under tariffs announced this week by the Trump administration this week, which could delay deliveries of cargo and passenger aircraft to American airlines.
However, by establishing its first manufacturing facility in the United States, Natilus says it will be able to weather potential trade restrictions and supply chain disruptions.
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Natilus’s aircraft will be made with carbon fiber airframes, which offer major advantages in fuel consumption, carbon emissions, and payload capacity — and which will be less affected by trade restrictions, unlike materials such as steel and aluminum.
The company has no plans to leave San Diego, said Giblin, adding that they wish to grow, not leave.
“Even though we announced our intention to expand our footprint in the U.S., our desire is to maintain headquarters and engineering here in San Diego,” he said.