NASA-MIT Radical Airplane Wing
Shape-Shifting in Flight Source: NASA New Way of Fabricating NASA and MIT engineers have created a radically new kind of airplane wing. It's composed of hundreds of identical, tiny pieces. The wing can change shape to control the flight. The wing is created by a new way of fabricating aircraft wings and could enable radical new designs. Optimal Wing Parameters for Flight The wing has been tested in a NASA wind tunnel. Every aspect of the flight, such as takeoff, landing, cruising, maneuvering, has its own set of optimal wing parameters. The system automatically adjusts wing configuration and shape in response to changing aerodynamic load conditions. Shape-Shifting Flexibility and Efficiency The NASA-MIT team says this will result in greater flexibility in future aircraft design and manufacturing. They add the new fabrication process could also work for bridge construction and blades for wind turbines. The team says the process is ...