The Airbus site that developed Concorde could be about to revolutionise aircraft wing-design with a new plane.
Airbus engineers have developed a scale-model aeroplane with the first in-flight, flapping wing-tips
They have drawn on nature to develop its ‘semi-aeroelastic hinge’ concept to reduce drag and overall wing weight, while combating the effects of turbulence and wind gusts.
Known as AlbatrossOne, the remote-controlled aircraft has already taken its first flights.
The team will now conduct further testing before the demonstrator, based on the manufacturer’s A321 plane, is scaled-up further.
It has been developed at Filton, near Bristol, and could change the wings made at Broughton in North Wales in the future.
Jean-Brice Dumont, Airbus’ Executive Vice-President of Engineering, said AlbatrossOne was the “first Filton aircraft since Concorde”.
“While hinged wing-tips are not new – military jets employ them to allow greater storage capacity on aircraft carriers – the Airbus demonstrator is the first aircraft to trial in-flight, freely-flapping wing-tips to relieve the effects of wind gusts and turbulence,” explained Airbus engineer Tom Wilson.
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“We drew inspiration from nature – the albatross marine bird locks its wings at the shoulder for long-distance soaring but unlocks them when wind-gusts occur or manoeuvering is required.
“The AlbatrossOne model will explore the benefits of unlockable, freely-flapping wing-tips – accounting for a up to a third of the length of the wing – to react autonomously during in-flight turbulence and lessen the load on the wing at its base, so reducing the need for heavily reinforced wing boxes.”
Jean-Brice Dumont, Airbus’ Executive Vice-President of Engineering, said the project showed “how nature can inspire us”.
He said: “When there is a wind gust or turbulence, the wing of a conventional aircraft transmits huge loads to the fuselage, so the base of the wing must be heavily strengthened, adding weight to the aircraft.”