Airbus Engineers Create Free-Flapping Wing Tips

Airbus engineers have developed a new aircraft concept that could be the first to flap its wings. Well, not the entire wing, just the tip.

The team created AlbatrossOne, a scale-model prototype that has been under development for the past 20 months at the Airbus Filton facility in the UK.

The new wing design features what Airbus is calling a "semi-aeroelastic hinge." Essentially, the tip of the wing flickers to fend off turbulence and wind gusts while also reducing drag and overall wing weight.

According to Airbus Engineer Tom Wilson, the team was inspired by the albatross, which locks its wings at the shoulder in order to soar long distances, but can unlock them to maneuver or combat wind gusts.

Made out of a combination of carbon fiber reinforced polymer composites (CFRP), glass fiber reinforced plastic (GFRP), additive layer manufacturing (ALM) and plywood, the scale model proof-of-concept recently took its first flight, and it was a success.

The AlbatrossOne is based on Airbus's A321 plane. While some existing aircraft, like military jets, do have hinged wing-tips, the AlbatrossOne is the first that allows inflight, free-flapping wing-tips.

According to the researchers, by allowing the tips to react and flex, it reduces the load on the wing which could enable lighter and longer wings - longer wings mean less drag and more fuel efficiency. And while others, like a team from NASA and Boeing, have experimented with rigid inflight wing folding, Airbus's Albatross appears to be the first free flapper.

In initial tests, the wings were either fully locked or free-flapping. Next, the team plans to fly the plane in both modes during a single flight before the demonstrator is scaled up for additional tests.

Image Credit: Thomas Industry Update