Micro air vehicles with wingspans of less than 20 centimetres are of huge interest at the moment because they can easily carry small payloads such as cameras and microphones over battlefields, disaster zones, and other areas of interest.
But because these aircraft are light, they are also vulnerable to gusts of wind that can fling them off course and disrupt any observations they may be making.
Now, Peter Ifju, an aerospace engineer at the University of Florida, US, and colleagues have developed an aerofoil, or wing shape, that flexes in the wind in response to gusts of wind.
In such a gust, the leading edge of each wing warps to reduce its angle of attack and keep itself pointing into the wind. This flexing can be controlled in such a way that the wing maintains level flight during gusts of wind, Ifju says, and the result should be a smoother ride in blustery conditions.
Read the full flexible wings patent application.
Justin Mullins, New Scientist consultant
Archive for the ‘aircraft’ Category
Flexible wings
Friday, February 22nd, 2008Stress-sensitive paint
Thursday, October 4th, 2007
Identifying damaged aircraft parts is a tricky business. Unless there are visual signs of damage, such as buckling or a dent, the part has to be X-rayed to determine whether it may contain microfractures that could endanger the aircraft.
So the US Air Force funded a US company called Luna Innovations to develop an easier way to spot damage.
The technique that Luna Innovations has come up with is to coat an aircraft part with a polymer containing a fluorescent dye held in tiny capsules. If that part is struck with force or twisted beyond a certain limit, the capsules break releasing the dye. A visual inspection of the aircraft then reveals exactly where any damage might have occurred.
Justin Mullins, New Scientist contributor
Read the full pressure-sensitive paint patent application.
So the US Air Force funded a US company called Luna Innovations to develop an easier way to spot damage.
The technique that Luna Innovations has come up with is to coat an aircraft part with a polymer containing a fluorescent dye held in tiny capsules. If that part is struck with force or twisted beyond a certain limit, the capsules break releasing the dye. A visual inspection of the aircraft then reveals exactly where any damage might have occurred.
Justin Mullins, New Scientist contributor
Read the full pressure-sensitive paint patent application.