Morphing Wing To Be Flight Tested On Citation VII Airbus is continually investing in breakthrough technologies which will benefit future flight for both business and commercial aviation. The end-game here is to be as efficient as possible while being sustainable. To this end, Airbus is soon going to be testing a 'morphing wing' on a business jet demonstrator platform, a Citation VII in 2024. Below is the live example of the testbed.
The morphing wing takes its inspiration from how a bird's wings change shape depending on what is needed at the time to make the creature fly or soar as efficiently as possible. Numerous technologies will be tested in this wing that will permit active control. These include gust sensors; pop-up spoilers or plates that are rapidly deflected perpendicular to airflow; multifunctional trailing edges that dynamically change the wing surface in flight; and a semi-aeroelastic hinge. The demonstrator is hosted within Airbus UpNext, an Airbus subsidiary created to fast-track future technologies. For more information: Airbus S.A.S. Worldwide Headquarters 1, Rond point Maurice Bellonte Blagnac Cedex 31707 www.airbus.com ***
