For aircraft, increases in aerodynamic efficiency often translate to increases in economic efficiency, and NASAs bug team has recently concluded tests on eight different coatings designed to reduce bug accumulation for that very purpose. The team flew NASA Langleys HU-25C Falcon jet through low-altitude flight this past summer in Virginia. The flights included multiple departures and landings in order to subject the aircraft to maximum bug densities (generally observed below 1000 feet). And for each test, researchers affixed coated surfaces to the aircrafts wings along with uncoated panels, allowing them to make direct comparisons regarding their efficacy.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.avweb.com/ownership/nasa-seeks-to-rid-aircraft-of-bug-guts