Morphing wings flight trials promise leap in efficiency – NASA

NASA has kicked off a flight test campaign to evaluate wing surfaces that can change shape in-flight. The Adaptive Compliant Trailing Edge (ACTE) joint effort between NASA and the US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) hopes to bring a step closer the day when rigid control surfaces can be replaced by smoothly morphing surfaces, which would more closely mimic bird flight and promise to make future airliners quieter and more fuel efficient. Researchers at the Armstrong Flight Research Center in… (www.flightglobal.com) More...