Airbus has built a scale-model aircraft with flapping wingtips, aiming to reduce drag and wing weight while mitigating the effects of turbulence.
The remote-controlled demonstrator, called AlbatrossOne, features a semi-aeroelastic hinge that lets the wingtips move freely during flight.
Based on the Airbus A321, the model is adapted so the wings can lock at the shoulder for efficient long-distance soaring and unlock to respond when gusts or maneuvering are required, explained Tom Wilson, an engineer at Airbus.
Constructed from carbon fiber and glass fiber–reinforced polymers, the model also uses parts produced by additive manufacturing methods.
Airbus plans to continue testing the demonstrator before considering a larger-scale application; the project has been in development for about 20 months.
“Hinged wingtips themselves are not new — military jets use them to reduce storage footprint on aircraft carriers — but the Airbus demonstrator is the first to trial freely flapping wingtips in flight to relieve gust and turbulence loads,” Wilson said.
AlbatrossOne will investigate how unlockable, freely flapping wingtips, which can account for up to a third of a wing’s span, can react autonomously during in-flight turbulence and reduce loads transmitted to the wing root. By lessening those loads, the design could cut the need for heavily reinforced wing structures and reduce overall wing weight and drag.
Ongoing flight tests will evaluate control strategies, structural behavior and aerodynamic performance, helping determine whether the concept can be scaled to full-size airliners and integrated into future wing designs.