Is wing warping coming back again?

[Marty_d]

Interesting piece about Germany working on intelligent trailing edge warping instead of flaps/ailerons.

As much as I don't want AI in the cockpit, the concept is intriguing.

 

Mighty morphin' flap-less wings trialed on experimental aircraft

NEWATLAS.COM

---

Imagine looking out the window of an airborne airplane and seeing the wing rippling and twisting. You'll probably...

 

[pmccarthy]

It surely must be the way of the future, eventually giving us control like birds have. But that might take another fifty years.

[Thruster88]

I believe it is aerodynamicly advantageous for the wings on heavy aircraft to separate into the multiple  separate high lift devices that we see on every airliner for take off and landing.

[skippydiesel]

3 hours ago, Thruster88 said:

I believe it is aerodynamicly advantageous for the wings on heavy aircraft to separate into the multiple  separate high lift devices that we see on every airliner for take off and landing.

True but is till only mans best effort at emulating what nature has crafted for birds.😈

[facthunter]

No Bird ever flew supersonic.. Speed range requires those Lift devices and also the drag(Lift destroyers.) Without ground spoilers you wouldn't get Much brake effect at high speeds and the Plane could skip  a long distance at touchdown. Large slotted flaps reduce the Landing distances required substantially. Planes like the B 727 are a good example. Flaps are not permitted to be extended above FL210.  Spoilers anytime. Once the flaps are retracted only the smaller inboard ailerons operate.. Having the 3 engines at the rear enables full trailing edge flap to be used . The flap limits the Bank available  when Landing. Nev

[facthunter]

Applying aileron at High speeds applies a lot of twisting force to the Wing structure itself. You can even get aileron reversal effect.  Nev

[Thruster88]

18 minutes ago, facthunter said:

Applying aileron at High speeds applies a lot of twisting force to the Wing structure itself. You can even get aileron reversal effect.  Nev

Do you mean the aileron acts like a trim tab?

[facthunter]

YES. That's how you rip wings off C- 210's. Happened quite a few times.  Usually on a base turn in the circuit. Nev

[kgwilson]

Wing warping excels in slow flight. That's how hang gliders are controlled. The early Rogallo gliders of the 1970s had large billowing sails with few if any battens to maintain some rigidity & could perform 360 degree turns in not much more than their own length.

[Marty_d]

My main issue with this is not the concept, the mechanics or even the structure - it's trusting AI to control it.

[facthunter]

It would be difficult to structure a Wing to warp satisfactorily at High speeds (damping). As KG says it's real good for LOW speed manoeuvring.  Tiny controls work at High cruise speeds.  Savage control capability at high speed risks overloading the Airframe inadvertently, with just a bump of the Hand. Nev