Airbus is testing an airplane with wings like an albatross (4 pics + video)

Airbus aircraft designers used innew aircraft designs borrowed from albatrosses, with their wide wingspan, changing geometry depending on the strength and direction of the wind.

In the Albatross One prototype, not only streamlined body silhouettes, which reduce air resistance, were used, but also the changing geometry of the wing, resembling the flapping of albatross wings.

The work on the prototype, which was basedThe model of Airbus A31 airliner was selected to scale, it took engineers about 20 months. The main feature of the novelty was the original design of the wing, which varies depending on wind gusts and the resulting turbulence. “Adapting” the shape of the wings under the air flow will reduce the load on the attachment points of the wings to the body of the aircraft and increase the aerodynamic characteristics of the aircraft.

The design with variable wing geometry is alreadyused in military aircraft. However, in AlbatrossOne, the position of the wing can be fixed at a specific moment, depending on the air flow surrounding the aircraft. The movable part occupies one third of the entire length of the wing.

Testing on the prototype was successful, the planemade several flights, during which the wings were blocked during takeoff or landing. The next step will be unlocking the wings in flight to study the effect of changing the position of the wings on the flight and the load on the body of the aircraft.

Source: airbus.com