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Breakthrough Laminar Aircraft Demonstrator in Europe

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Natural laminar flow is opposed to hybrid laminar flow artificially induced through hardware. It is difficult to industrialise a wing smooth enough to sustain the laminar flow in operation, due to having very low design and manufacturing tolerances, leading-edge retractable slats, and fasteners, that
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is around 20° for a Mach 0.75 cruise, instead of 30° for a Mach 0.82–0.84 cruise. Laminar flow is expected along 50% of chord length instead of just aft of the leading edge, halving the wing
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and metallic right wing leading edge have small differences in aerodynamic effects. The aerodynamic benefits could be sustained at Mach 0.78 up from Mach 0.75 and next-generation
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In April 2018, after 66 flight hours, drag reduction is better than expected at 10% and laminar flow is more stable than anticipated, including when the
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and flexes. Both wings with their carbon fibre upper sustainably generate the desired effect, while the carbon fibre left wing
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robust enough, and can withstand surface deformations and dirt, de-icing fluid, and rain-droplet contamination.
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upper laminar flow surface is isolated from the rest of the wing and has two ailerons on each side. Its
298: 133: 44: 258: 268: 8: 92: 76:, reducing the overall aircraft drag by 8% and saving up to 5% in fuel on an 800 127: 247: 123: 73: 116: 112: 58: 49: 29: 108: 69: 25: 176:"Airbus' "BLADE" laminar flow wing demonstrator makes first flight" 233:"ANALYSIS: Why Airbus foresees laminar wings on next-gen aircraft" 21: 210:"Researchers Combine Actuators, Smart Materials To Morph Wing" 97: 64:
The 9 m (30 ft) metallic outboard section with a
33: 191:"ILA: Airbus encouraged by laminar-winged A340 trial" 158:"Airbus readies laminar-winged A340 for test flights" 122:
Tests will continue until 2019 and will include wing
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Breakthrough Laminar Aircraft Demonstrator in Europe
289:Pan-European trade and professional organizations 104:The demonstrator took off on 26 September, 2017. 245: 151: 149: 230: 188: 155: 207: 182: 146: 178:(Press release). Airbus. 26 September 2017. 279:European Union and science and technology 254:2010s international experimental aircraft 91: 43: 136:should be flight tested from May 2020. 246: 28:framework to flight-test experimental 284:International aviation organizations 214:Aviation Week & Space Technology 13: 294:Research and development in Europe 224: 14: 310: 231:Michael Gubisch (10 July 2018). 189:Michael Gubisch (26 Apr 2018). 119:could use from the late 2020s. 66:carbon fiber reinforced plastic 208:Thierry Dubois (Jan 8, 2018). 201: 168: 156:Michael Gubisch (4 Sep 2017). 87: 1: 139: 274:European Commission projects 24:project within the European 7: 264:Air pollution organizations 10: 315: 39: 101: 53: 95: 47: 36:from September 2017. 32:wing sections on an 100:flight demonstrator 102: 54: 299:Research projects 306: 240: 218: 217: 205: 199: 198: 186: 180: 179: 172: 166: 165: 153: 83: 79: 314: 313: 309: 308: 307: 305: 304: 303: 244: 243: 227: 225:Further reading 222: 221: 206: 202: 187: 183: 174: 173: 169: 154: 147: 142: 90: 81: 77: 59:aerodynamically 42: 12: 11: 5: 312: 302: 301: 296: 291: 286: 281: 276: 271: 266: 261: 256: 242: 241: 226: 223: 220: 219: 200: 181: 167: 144: 143: 141: 138: 134:Morphing flaps 89: 86: 41: 38: 20:(BLADE) is an 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 311: 300: 297: 295: 292: 290: 287: 285: 282: 280: 277: 275: 272: 270: 267: 265: 262: 260: 257: 255: 252: 251: 249: 238: 234: 229: 228: 215: 211: 204: 196: 192: 185: 177: 171: 163: 159: 152: 150: 145: 137: 135: 131: 129: 125: 124:contamination 120: 118: 117:single-aisles 114: 110: 105: 99: 94: 85: 75: 74:friction drag 71: 67: 62: 60: 51: 46: 37: 35: 31: 27: 23: 19: 259:Aerodynamics 237:Flightglobal 236: 213: 203: 195:Flightglobal 194: 184: 170: 162:Flightglobal 161: 132: 126:and a fixed 121: 113:leading edge 106: 103: 84:km) sector. 63: 55: 52:wing section 50:laminar flow 30:laminar-flow 17: 15: 269:Airbus A340 128:Krüger flap 109:wing twists 88:Development 248:Categories 140:References 70:wing sweep 80:nm (1,480 48:The left 26:Clean Sky 82:  78:  40:Design 22:Airbus 98:A340 96:The 34:A340 16:The 57:is 250:: 235:. 212:. 193:. 160:. 148:^ 130:. 239:. 216:. 197:. 164:.

Index

Airbus
Clean Sky
laminar-flow
A340

laminar flow
aerodynamically
carbon fiber reinforced plastic
wing sweep
friction drag

A340
wing twists
leading edge
single-aisles
contamination
Krüger flap
Morphing flaps


"Airbus readies laminar-winged A340 for test flights"
"Airbus' "BLADE" laminar flow wing demonstrator makes first flight"
"ILA: Airbus encouraged by laminar-winged A340 trial"
"Researchers Combine Actuators, Smart Materials To Morph Wing"
"ANALYSIS: Why Airbus foresees laminar wings on next-gen aircraft"
Categories
2010s international experimental aircraft
Aerodynamics
Air pollution organizations
Airbus A340

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