For decades, aircraft functioning wings about the same: The main body is static, which Form a System of Flaps are easy to change, the impetus to change and the machine control. Now, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (mit) have jointly developed with Nasa a completely new wing concept and which works fundamentally different.
The idea is quickly explained: The actual shape of an aircraft wing is not aerodynamically optimal, because for various phases of flight such as takeoff and climb, actually, both have slightly different forms are better suited. The current solution only the best working compromise. But what if the wings could easily change completely to achieve the optimum shape?
Fullscreen
In the air tunnel, Nasa was able to prove to the new Flügel_Material already.
©Kenny Cheung, NASA Ames Research Center PR Flexible mesh
Exactly, the researchers have managed well, reports the Campus newspaper “News”. Accordingly, the Team of doctoral students has managed to construct a wing-system consisting of tons of small, moving Parts. The to the skin of a shark, reminding one of the surface is not only lighter and more impact resistant than the current wing designs, you can customize thanks to the flexible design, also to the respective flight situation.
And even self-employed: “We were able to increase the efficiency, by adapting the Form to meet the requirements of different flight angle,” explains Nicholas Cramer, who manages the project for Nasa. The wings to fold then in the case of Air resistances, so that it can assume the most effective Form. “It is exactly the kind of behavior one would set manually, but we made it a passive implementation.” Complex flap systems, and a control of the full collapse is so unnecessary.
this is made Possible by the unusual construction. The wings are composed of Thousands of small scales, which together, as well as an underlying scaffold are connected. Through the clever arrangement of solid and flexible parts, the so-called Metamaterial is then at the same time very flexible and stable. The wings should be similar to the Shock-resistant, such as rubber, explains one of the researchers. “Our Material has only a thousandth of the density.” Per cubic meters it should weigh in at 5.6 pounds, in the case of rubber, there are 1.5 tons.
Fullscreen
The small fins are on a complex grid
©Kenny Cheung, NASA Ames Research Center attached to the PR planes later
If ever a real aircraft with the new Material can be built but will have to show in the first place. In the case of Tests in the wind of the Nasa tunnels, nevertheless, demonstrated the ability to fly a model with 5 meters of span per wing, but larger models need to be developed. In addition, construction is caused by the Ultra-light of its own challenges: Conventional aircraft to bring a majority of their fuel in the wings. As the Tanks and the moving parts are brought together, still needs to be solved.
“The most promising usage scenarios are ships in the short-term structural additions to the space and space structures, such as antennas,” explains Daniel Campbell, an expert on the material structures of the Boeing, a subsidiary of Aurora Flight Sciences. “The research shows promising results for reductions in cost and increases in efficiency in the case of large, lightweight, but solid structures.”
The researchers think but more a step: you are already working on the industrial production of their Hand-made flying models. An army of small robots should be able to connect in your mind the Thousands of mini-plates to each other and the wing-wait, now you are working on the implementation of the idea. The largest barrier to the purchase of appropriate devices, whether researchers Benjamin Jenett explains. “The construction materials are cheap. We have them here by the crate around.”
source: News
innovation: From the fire to the aircraft, meet some of the greatest inventions of mankind Fullscreen
The first airplane
in 1903, started the Wright brothers the first airplane that was able to rise from its own power into the air. From him, the aircraft developed, as we know it today. The dream of flying came true, the man broke the surface of the earth, and conquered the third Dimension.
©Wiki Commons
