On June 12, 1998, at 17:15 in Auditorium ML F36 of the Polytechnic Institute of Zurich, Dr. Gottfried von Meiss, presented the McDonnell-NASA-Boeing airplane-of-the-future, Blended-Wing-body, a reduced sized model which flew for the first time in 1997 and a design built on the basis of principles laid down by Vincent Burnelli (1895-1964).

The invitation read in part:

"Ten lifting body airplanes were built in the USA and one under license in England and the last one in Canada in 1947. In 1974, Boeing designed and planned one of these as well.

Seeing the technical and economical advantages of lifting-body aircraft, it is astounding that until now there this design has never made it to the assembly line."