Aerodynamic Advances through Laminar Flow: A Conceptual Aircraft Design Study

Abstract

Improving fuel efficiency is a primary challenge in modern aviation, with aerodynamics serving as a key enabler. Aerodynamic friction drag accounts for more than 50 % of total drag, highlighting a significant opportunity for efficiency gains through laminar flow, which reduces skin friction drag. In addition, by simultaneously increasing the wing aspect ratio to retain a constant lift coefficient for maximum lift-to-drag ratio can further improve aerodynamic performance. However, evaluating laminar flow in isolation, without considering overall mass, system power requirements or engine performance, can lead to an incomplete assessment of their true technological potential. In this study, a conceptual design methodology was applied to integrate laminar flow technologies (natural and hybrid) across wing, empennage, nacelle, and fuselage on a 2035 long-haul reference aircraft. Results indicate a potential of 16 % block fuel reduction at aircraft level, with wing aspect ratio tailoring delivering up to 24 % fuel savings. These findings, foundational for DLR's LamTA project, will be refined through detailed disciplinary analyses in future work.