Seattle-based Outbound Aerospace aims to revolutionize the aviation industry with a blended-wing airplane design utilizing advances in 3D printing and lightweight materials.The startup has secured up to$500,000 to help realize its vision.

　　Outbound Aerospace draws inspiration from the rapid innovation seen in SpaceX.Jake Armenta,a former Boeing engineer and one of Outbound’s founders,hopes to channel similar energy within the company.

　　Although still in stealth mode,Armenta has shared more details about the venture and its future plans due to recent positive developments.Armenta and CEO Ian Lee,both Missouri University of Science and Technology alumni,have been collaborating on Outbound since early 2023.Armenta’s previous roles at Boeing and Relativity Space,where he worked on 3D-printed rockets,influenced his belief that new technologies could similarly disrupt aircraft design.

　　“Many of these technologies that have been game-changing in rocketry can be brought over and are very directly applicable to aircraft,”Armenta explained.Outbound’s blended-wing airplane,named Olympic,could potentially scale to the size of a midsize Boeing 757 passenger jet.The design incorporates innovative 3D printing and a patented manufacturing process.

　　Outbound raised about$60,000 in angel funding earlier this year and received a commitment from venture capital firm Antler for$250,000,with a promise to match 50%of funds raised from external investors,up to an additional$250,000.This funding will enable Outbound to build a one-eighth-scale demonstrator of their aircraft in Dallas,with final integration in Seattle and flight tests in Oregon before year-end.

　　The startup partners with Collinear Group,an engineering consulting firm,to develop certification plans.The team includes seven full-time employees and several consultants from notable aerospace companies like Hermeus,Relativity Space,SpaceX,and Stoke.

　　What Outbound lacks is a billionaire backer,unlike SpaceX’s Elon Musk or Relativity Space’s Mark Cuban.Armenta hopes the success of the subscale demonstrator will attract significant financial support.

　　“We’re going to raise a little bit more to close out this pre-seed round,and then at the end of this year—after we fly our demonstrator,after we have unveiled our full-size design—at that point,that’s when we’re going to raise a full-on,large seed round,comparable to what other aerospace startups are doing,”Armenta said.

　　Stay tuned:The next six months could be pivotal for Outbound Aerospace.