Longer, thinner wings are on the horizon as NASA and 
Boeing continue to research what the future of aviation could look like with new revolutionary designs for wings that could make them more efficient, offer less drag, and potentially mitigate the vibrations the aircraft encounters with turbulence.
These wings could be a game-changer for aircraft, with experts from NASA and Boeing now exploring the development and challenges associated with this new technology. Longer, but thinner wings will reduce drag, making them flexible in flight and minimizing the movement felt during turbulent conditions.
The Future Is Near
The Integrated Adaptive Wing Technology Maturation collaboration between NASA and Boeing has seen several tunnel tests on a higher-than-usual aspect ratio wing model, which was set to understand new ways to get efficiency gains for aircraft, while also understanding the potential pressures and issues that these wings may encounter.
When compared to shorter, more rigid wings, flexible wings generate greater movement due to atmospheric interference or flight control inputs. Higher aspect ratio wings are more fuel-efficient, hence the emphasis on making the most of this efficiency while also controlling and enhancing the wing’s stability. NASA aerospace engineer at NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, Jennifer Pinkerton explains:
“When you have a very flexible wing, you’re getting into greater motions. Things like gust loads and maneuver loads can cause even more of an excitation than with a smaller aspect ratio wing. Higher aspect ratio wings also tend to be more fuel efficient, so we’re trying to take advantage of that while simultaneously controlling the aeroelastic response.”
The Right Engineering
Long and thin wings have the potential to experience conditions known as flutter, which is where an airplane will vibrate and shake in strong windy conditions. This usually leads to the plane having a violent interaction, known as turbulence. Part of the testing currently being undertaken is how to characterize the current aeroelastic instabilities in aircraft concepts so these instabilities can be avoided.
NASA and Boeing continue to research the impacts of wind on airplanes and how it is possible to lessen wing loads from turns and movements, minimizing the chances of wing flutter. Reducing or controlling these issues is expected to improve aircraft performance, overall fuel consumption, and offer a more comfortable passenger experience.
Wing flutter is a self-excited vibration seen in aircraft when aerodynamic forces test structural elasticity, causing bending or twisting that amplifies uncontrollably. This phenomenon is where airflow excites the wings’ natural frequencies and can continue to grow exponentially, which necessitates careful design to support prevention.
Current testing for this is being undertaken in controlled environments, as it is not practical with a full-size commercial aircraft. The NASA Langley Transonic Dynamics Tunnel, which is 16 feet high by 16 feet wide, is perfect for such tests, as it can accommodate large-scale models as pictured.
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A Scaled-Down Aircraft Model
Partnering with NextGen Aeronautics, NASA and Boeing were able to shrink down a standard-sized plane and fabricate an exact model that resembled the right-hand side of an airplane with a 13-foot wing. This has been mounted to the wall of the Langley wind tunnel, where researchers can adjust and control surfaces and airflow to test the wings’ durability.
Instruments and other sensors that are installed inside the tunnel can measure the forces being pushed onto the model, and how it can respond to these conditions. The first tests were undertaken in 2024, which gave baseline readings to then compare against more refined models and configurations.
Most recently, testing has identified that the latest capabilities dramatically reduce the wings’ shaking, which could be applied to the next generation of aircraft wing design. The collaboration with the NASA Advanced Air Transport Technology project will continue to study and develop new technologies through the agency’s Advanced Air Vehicles program, which sits under the NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate.
