JetZero Wins $5.3 Million FAA Award for Jet1 Engine Testing

JetZero announced on October 28, 2026, that it had been selected to receive $5.3 million under the Federal Aviation Administration’s CLEEN Phase IV program. The proposed work would instrument Jet1’s engines and nacelles to measure airflow at the engine inlet and fan exit during flight and ground operations.

Key details

• Jet1 is a full-scale blended-wing-body demonstrator with two Pratt & Whitney PW2040 engines mounted above the airframe.
• JetZero targets the demonstrator’s first flight for the fourth quarter of 2027.
• The FAA launched CLEEN Phase IV in September 2026 and issued two-year agreements to Boeing, GE Aerospace, Heart Aerospace, Honeywell Aerospace, and JetZero.
• Scaled Composites is building Jet1.
• JetZero has said its planned Z4 production aircraft could enter service in the early 2030s.

JetZero said the FAA selected it for $5.3 million through CLEEN Phase IV.

Why it matters

The proposed measurements would give JetZero data on airflow around an engine installation mounted above a blended-wing-body airframe. That testing supports development of a demonstrator with a configuration distinct from conventional tube-and-wing airliners.

What happens next

JetZero’s stated target puts Jet1’s first flight in the fourth quarter of 2027, giving the company a milestone to work toward as it develops the demonstrator. What will the flight-test program reveal about the aircraft’s engine installation?