NASA's Birdlike Plane Wing

Nasa has developed a new plane that can change shape during flight; it was tested on a Gulfstream III Jet.

18:36 30 April 2015

Nasa, Airforce Research Laboratory, and private tech firm FlexSys, have jointly developed a plane wing that can change shape during flight. The plane’s flexible wings feature a seamless flexible edge that can move up or down more subtly than traditional hinged flaps. 

 

The US Space Agency said: the new wing will "save millions of dollars annually in fuel costs, reduce airframe weight and decrease aircraft noise during take-offs and landings.

 

Nasa confirmed that the new plane wing was tested on Gulfstream III Jet, an aircraft that features experimental control surfaces, for six months. The jet was flown at fixed flap angles ranging from -2 degrees to 30 degrees for data collection purposes. 

 

The flexible Adaptive Compliant Trailing Edge (ACTE) wing is designed to go through the full range positions during flight, functioning the same way as bird’s wings. This new design allows for smoother airflow, which reduces friction, cutting fuel costs. 

 

FlexSys said that the new technology could increase fuel efficiency between 5per cent and 12per cent and reduce noise on take-off and landing by up to 40per cent.