NASA announced Friday they have successfully tested their flexible wing design meant to replace the standard aluminum wings.
The Adaptive Compliant Trailing Edge (ACTE) project is part of NASA's Environmentally Responsible Aviation (ERA) project, in cooperation with the U.S. Air Force. The wings, designed by FlexSys, Inc., of Ann Arbor, Michigan, are made of a light material and can bend to become more aerodynamic, which reduces noise and makes the plane more fuel efficient. The test was done with a relatively small modified Gulfstream III plane, and the wings were locked at a certain bended shape and will be tested at different levels of bending in the future to compare results.
"We have progressed from an innovative idea and matured the concept through multiple designs and wind tunnel tests, to a final demonstration that should prove to the aerospace industry that this technology is ready to dramatically improve aircraft efficiency," said AFRL Program Manager Pete Flick, from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.
