Aerodynamic Benefits of Adaptive Wing Technology

Abstract

Especially in the case of large transonic transport aircraft, flight conditions change considerably during a typical mission. This is accounted for by multiple but fixed design points which compromise, however, the aircraft performance. Employing adaptive wing technology where the wing geometry, or other means of flow control, adjust the flow development to the changing freestream and load conditions allows to fully explore the flow potential at each point of the flight envelope. Various means of flow control by geometric adaptation and by direct boundary layer control have been investigated within the German national program ADIF and the EU-project EUROSHOCK II and their potential explored. Here, corresponding results are presented and discussed indicating the applicability and benefits of the adaptive control methods considered. It is also demonstrated that generally flow control must be adaptive to work in real aeronautical conditions since these conditions change within the mission flight envelope.