NASA tests bendy aircraft wings

NASA is developing a new type of aircraft wing which can change shape in flight.

The US space agency recently conducted a flight test for a new style of wing flap, which is made using “shape-changing assemblies that form seamless bendable and twistable surfaces”.

This new technology could be the start of a major revolution in aircraft design, potentially replacing conventional metal wing flaps. If these flexible flaps are proved to be viable, they would improve the aerodynamic efficiency of an aircraft, reducing the noise generated during take-offs and landings and improving an aircraft’s fuel consumption.

“This flight test is one of the NASA Environmentally Responsible Aviation (ERA) Project’s eight large-scale integrated technology demonstrations to show design improvements in drag, weight, noise, emission and fuel reductions,” explained Fay Collier, ERA project manager at NASA’s research centre in Langley, Virginia.

The Adaptive Compliant Trailing Edge (ACTE) project is a joint effort between NASA and the US Air Force, using flaps designed and built by FlexSys. The new flap system, called ‘FlexFoil’, can be retrofitted to existing aircraft wings or integrated into new jets.

“The first flight went as planned – we validated many key elements of the experimental trailing edges,” said Thomas Rigney, ACTE project manager. “We expect this technology to make future aircraft lighter, more efficient, and quieter. It also has the potential to save hundreds of millions of dollars annually in fuel costs.”

Aircraft wing flaps are used during take-off and landing, improving an aircraft’s lift or increasing drag to shorten landing distances. The ACTE project involves replacing conventional aluminium flaps with flexible flaps made using composite materials.

sourced:traveldailymedia.com