 Imagine
how most people felt when
they first heard man would
one day be able to fly in
an aircraft, or that we
hoped to actually land a
man on the Moon. Those ideas
probably seemed crazy to
most people at the time,
but today just about anyone
can fly on an airplane,
and we have astronauts living
in space. Now imagine that
one day we would be flying
in aircraft with wings that
could bend, twist, and maneuver
just like a bird. Sound
crazy? NASA Langley is working
on Morphing technologies
that will allow aircraft
to perform like birds. Efficient
wing design, feathers, and
hollow lightweight bones
allow birds to fly better
than any man made machine.
For example, development
of synthetic jets will cover
an entire wing and replicate
the movement of feathers.
This technology can alter
the airflow over a wing
for superior maneuverability.
Microspheres will replicate
birds' hollow bones and
allow lightweight wings
to be manufactured for increased
performance and efficiency.
Sounds like science fiction,
but in fact these technologies
are real. Tonya St. Romain
spoke with Anna McGowan
at NASA Langley Research
Center who is working to
incorporate morphing technologies
into aircraft. |
