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NASA successfully tested the technology changing the shape of an airplane wing
Photo NASA i> sup>
NASA research team successfully закончила Testing of the new technology Adaptive Compliant Trailing Edge (ACTE), which allows you to change the geometry of the aircraft wing. Engineers performed 22 flight over the past six months on a jet plane Gulfstream III, specially equipped for passing the test. Sharing of benefits arising from the introduction of ACTE will экономия Fuel: given the fact that a year in jet fuel annually spends $ 212 billion, the savings from 4% to 12% is very significant.
Development of the technology involved in ACTE company FlexSys, coming out of the academic environment of the University of Michigan. Such a wing surface itself is a completely seamless object made predominantly of aluminum, titanium, fiber-reinforced polymer composites and other materials used in the aviation industry. During the test the angle of the plane of the wing has consistently changed between -2 ° to 30 ° - and these figures are not outside: just engineers wanted to avoid unnecessary risks. The very flexible part of the wing of the aircraft Gulfstream III has a length of 4.3 meters, and the slope of the change by means of special drives.
NASA funded the development companies in the sum of $ 40 million, but the timing of the introduction of technology into commercial service experts estimate 6-10 years. Furthermore, an additional advantage of ACTE is that such flaps can be relatively easily installed on existing airplanes. Get a visual representation of how the technology works can be in the video below:
Source: geektimes.ru/post/249782/
