# Kona by Natilus

Canonical page: https://technooptimist.io/aviation/kona
Frontier: [Aviation](https://technooptimist.io/aviation.md) · Field: Next-gen airliners · Company: [Natilus](https://technooptimist.io/companies/natilus.md)
Stage: Proto (2 of 5: Research → Proto → Pilot → Deploy → Scaling)
Updated: last update 2026-02-10, facts checked 2026-10-11
Goal: Carry regional freight more cheaply by fitting more cargo in a wing-shaped body, and prove the blended-wing design on a small plane before Natilus attempts an airliner.
Status: Full-scale prototype being built; first flight due by early 2028, slipped from 2024
Next milestone: Full-scale prototype first flight, target Q1 2028 (slipped 48 months; originally 2024)

## Milestones

| Status | Milestone | Date | Slip |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Done | Subscale prototype flights | Apr 2023 |   |
| Done | Series A funds full-scale prototype | 10 Feb 2026 |   |
| Current | Full-scale prototype first flight | Q1 2028 | +48 mo (originally 2024) |
| Planned | FAA Part 23 certification and first delivery |   |   |

## Upcoming events

- **Q1 2028**: Full-scale prototype first flight (slipped 48 mo)

## Most important updates

- **10 Feb 2026**: Natilus raises $28M Series A led by Draper Associates to finish full-scale Kona. Natilus raised $28 million led by Draper Associates, with Type One Ventures, The Veterans Fund and Flexport as strategic investors, to complete the first full-scale Kona prototype, expected to fly within 24 months. ([our story](https://technooptimist.io/stories/natilus-raises-28m-series-a-led-by-draper-associates-to-finish-full-431df656.md) · [original source](https://natilus.co/natilus-raises-28-million-series-a-to-commercialize-family-of-hyper-efficient-blended-wing-aircraft/))
- **19 Apr 2023**: Natilus flies subscale Kona prototype, validating its blended-wing cargo design. Natilus completed multiple flights of a subscale Kona prototype from a private runway in Southern California, reaching 70 mph. ([our story](https://technooptimist.io/stories/natilus-flies-subscale-kona-prototype-validating-its-blended-wing-cargo-e528b02d.md) · [original source](https://natilus.co/successful-flight-of-natilus-kona-prototype-validates-performance-of-unique-blended-wing-body-design-paving-the-way-for-completion-of-full-scale-autonomous-cargo-drone/))

## Current obstacles

- **Schedule**: First flight targeted for 2024, then Q4 2026, now within 24 months of February 2026.
- **Remote operations approval**: Flying cargo with no pilot on board needs regulatory approval that no freighter of this size has yet won.

## Physics limits

- **Lift needs span or speed**: A short, wide body makes lift less efficiently than a long thin wing, so blended designs win on volume and drag, not necessarily on take-off distance.

## How it works

### Body: Diamond-shaped cargo bay

The cargo hold sits inside the lifting body, fitting more volume than a tube freighter of similar size.

### Propulsion: Twin pusher turboprops

Two Pratt & Whitney turboprops push from the rear of the body.

### Pilot: Optionally piloted

Designed to fly with a pilot or remotely; early subscale flights showed it stays stable without a complex autopilot.

## Spec sheet

| Spec | Kona | Provenance |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Payload | 3.8 t | reported |
| Range | 900 nmi | reported |
| Planned production | 60 a year | reported |
| Subscale prototype speed | 70 mph | reported |

Provenance: reported = stated by the company; estimated = our estimate; sample = a sample figure.

## Peer comparison

- [Natilus Horizon](https://technooptimist.io/aviation/horizon.md) (Research): Range 3,500 nmi; Payload 25 t

## About Natilus

Natilus is a San Diego startup founded in 2016 that designs blended-wing-body aircraft, where the fuselage itself is shaped like a wing and adds lift. It is building Kona, a regional cargo plane, and designing Horizon, a 200-plus-seat airliner.

- Raised a $28M Series A led by Draper Associates in February 2026 to finish the first full-scale Kona.
- Claims a 570+ aircraft reservation book worth $24B, mostly Kona; SpiceJet's 100 Horizons depend on certification.
- Full-scale Kona first flight has slipped from 2024 to within 24 months of February 2026.

- Founded: 2016
- Headquarters: US
- Status: private
- Raised: $28M
- Last round: Series A $28M, 10 Feb 2026, led by Draper Associates
- Website: https://natilus.co
- People: Aleksey Matyushev (Co-founder and CEO); Anatoly Starikov (Co-founder)
- Partners, customers, investors: SpiceJet (customer); Ameriflight (customer); Nolinor Aviation (customer); Flexport (investor)

Company page: https://technooptimist.io/companies/natilus.md

## Related programs

More from Natilus:

- [Horizon](https://technooptimist.io/aviation/horizon.md) (Research)

Everything in Aviation: https://technooptimist.io/aviation.md

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