Flexible Wing Flaps Save Fuel

May-28-14 The flexibility of a bird's wing has inspired the development of a new, more efficient type of airplane wing flap able to shift its shape during flight.

Currently, airflow over airplane wings is controlled by adjusting the flaps, which are stiff and limited in shape. Inspired by the bird's ability to alter its wing to suit the conditions, a team from Fraunhofer created a new type of flap able to flex in many different ways.

The key component of the wing flap is its flexible, silicon skin, which is able to stretch as it moves and maintain its elasticity even at temperatures below -112⁰ F. A mechanism beneath the silicon skin stretches and shapes the wing flap as needed (as determined by a computer algorithm), enabling the wing to take on the most efficient shape for the conditions.

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[GIZMAG.COM]
[FRAUNHOFER]

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