Aviation Partners/FlexSys Morphing Wing Demonstrator

Aviation Week’s Rupa Haria took this video of a wing-morphing “flexfoil” demonstrator that winglet specialist Aviation Partners Inc. and joint-venture partner FlexSys displayed at the 2016 National Business Aviation Association show. The demo illustrates how the airfoil shape could change in flight to boost performance over a wide range of angles of attack, indicated airspeeds and Mach levels. The joint-venture partners are working with an undisclosed customer to retrofit an aircraft with the first commercial morphing wing, an aerodynamic innovation that has wide-ranging implications for performance-boosting retrofits of existing business jets or clean-sheet designs.

[Monkeynuts]

I would love to see a wing like this de-ice itself by flexing back and forth like an ice tray.

[ebbonemint]

My surface level engineering knowledge is telling me that this it a cool technology, But the amount of maintenance required to prevent it from failing is going to be exponentially higher than a traditional ailerons.

[MrGermany]

As an A&P mechanic i hate this. As a person i think it's cool as hell. My biggest question is if this starts to fatigue do you have to replace the ENTIRE wing? Can't just replace this like a normal aileron. It'll never happen.

[picullierxebec]

looks amazing, but it also looks like a maintenance nightmare

[ninepuchar]

Wing morphing tech is awesome😁😁. Imagine even more active wing morphing designs in the future, where the shape shapes to meet the flight conditions.

[lukasrohrmoser]

From the thumbnail i expected a bending winglet. But still, cool technology!

[NikitaKaminskyy]

As an Aeroespace Engineering student I have to say that it's brilliant!

[dogwalker]

It looks amazing but is it worth the stress fracture failure that is inevitable.

[ATLOffroad]

If further R&D brings this to production our next generation of aircraft could look very different. Very cool concept.

[AirborneRenegade]

It’s a great concept, but as a pilot I can see tons of problems with stress cracks in the wing as time progresses. It’s genius, but it most likely needs to be worked on some more before trying it on an actual aircraft.

[DavidDewis]

This is so cool. Now imagine if car bodywork could morph depending on speed or mode car was in. Driving motorway and need to keep it economical, nice and rounded. Wanna do something sporty, body adjusts to add downforce.

[tyler_schecter]

I wish this was on commercial aircraft today but the amazing thing is that we might see it in the future!

[darklordchris]

I wonder how this would work and look on a wide body? Pretty nice though.

[iwaswrongabouteveryhthing]

You can tell it's a wing because of how it is,
Wow what a beaut

[FoXWoR]

so satisfying to watch - thanks for sharing!

[zealon.]

As somebody that has absolutely no experience in the field of aviation: this looks phenomenal! Has the technology been introduced on more aircraft since this video debuted?

[bluestonebest]

when i see the voids between the flaps i can only think about the sounds and turbulences created. but what if we put a full latex cover on the wing? would it hide every holes and protect the plane?

[ajaxnation]

People should stop putting that "No Touch" sign, it just increases my urge to touch it lol

[sharpfang]

So... back to the origins? If Wright Brothers' patent on flexing wings didn't expire they'd sue the hell out of this.

[SuperMaDBrothers]

When it gets stuck and you spiral into a mountain don't come crying to me :P