Following successful in-flight tests of a shape-changing wing, two teams have been funded to demonstrate aggressive manoeuvring using fast morphing. Unmanned air vehicles built by Lockheed Martin and NextGen Aeronautics will use rapid changes in wing shape to perform steep climbs and tight turns following an attack on a target.
NextGen, with funding from Boeing Phantom Works, demonstrated its flexible-skin morphing wing in flight on 1 August, using a subscale remotely piloted vehicle called the MFX-1. Changes in area of 40% and span of 30%, with sweep varying from 15° to 35°, were achieved in flight at speeds of around 100kt (185km/h).
Torrance, California-based NextGen says the flights, at the Camp Roberts test range in California, were the first of a wing whose area, chord, sweep and aspect ratio can be changed in flight. Lockheed’s Skunk Works abandoned efforts to fly its folding-wing morphing design after the subscale autonomous vehicle crashed twice during take-off attempts because of flight-control software issues.
Source and more info: Flight International
