The proposed project will develop and evaluate design concepts to improve aircraft efficiency through exploitation of airframe aero elastic deformations. These concepts will ensure optimum efficiency at all flight and payload conditions through continual adjustment of the aircraft shape. Exploitation of the aero elastic behavior will enable the use of aerodynamic loads to produce the required deformations. Considerable reductions in structural weight, size of stabilizer surfaces, aerodynamic drag, and design loads will be possible. After initial evaluation of possible design approaches, selected concepts will be applied to several aircraft configurations. An important part of the project will concentrate on the performance and feasibility of new smart materials and the development of new actuation systems. The most promising concepts will be validated by wind tunnel tests. A database will be created to describe the aero elastic impacts and results from the programme.

More info: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/G4RD-CT-2002-00679 ↗