UpNext, the innovation division of Airbus, announced last week it plans to be flight testing a Cessna Citation VII testbed with “morphing wing” technology in 2024. The developmental concept takes an aircraft’s complement of control surfaces to a whole new level, well beyond flaps, ailerons, slats and vortex generators.
Wing warping?
Turns out, they were Wright.
That deserves two thumbs up.
Seems like we are leading to full AI control. Theoretically safer and more efficient. But, I’m too old to care.
Those interesting in learning more about continuous camber morphing wings may wish to read about the USAF AFTI F-111 Mission Adaptive Wing program which flew between 1983 and 1988 (approx).
See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Dynamics–Boeing_AFTI/F-111A_Aardvark
and: https://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/pdf/88274main_H-1855.pdf
It’s seems like every time someone comes up with a “new” wing configuration, we end up with the same basic principle that the Wright bros. came up with over 100 years ago. Wilbur and Orville look more and more like geniuses now, just like they were then. As much as current engineers try, there is no changing the basic laws of aerodynamics that the Wright’s worked with/discovered.
Maybe it is time to use some of the stability control computer capacity used in the Spirit and other advanced technology if it is available to industry in developing variable wing functions.
This is different. The AFTI F-111 used what I would call traditional mechanisms and actuators. This technology may use traditional actuators, but it uses something called compliant mechanisms. These mechanisms give you more control over the shape among other things.