Aerodynamic Efficiency

NASA has created and combined two new concepts aircraft aerodynamic control surfaces and active wing-shaping control to reduce aircraft drag and lower fuel consumption. The first concept is referred to as a variable camber continuous trailing edge flap or, alternatively, a variable camber continuous leading edge slat. Aerodynamic simulations and wind tunnel experiments have shown that this type of flap can reduce aerodynamic drag substantially as compared to a conventional flap. The second element is a new active wing-shaping control concept that is proposed in connection with the presently disclosed variable camber continuous trailing edge flap (or leading edge slat). The active wing-shaping control is designed to aeroelastically change a wing shape in-flight in order to achieve a desired wing shape for optimal drag reduction.