Elvia H. Thompson Dryden Flight Research Center, Calif. March
16, 2005 NASA Tests Show Wing Warping Controls Aircraft at High
Speeds A NASA flight research project, designed to test a
derivative of the Wright Brothers' concept of wing-warping to
control aircraft turns, indicates the concept works, even at
supersonic speeds. This high-tech version of century-old
technology may have an impact on aircraft design. It may make
airplanes more maneuverable at high speeds, enable them to carry
heavier payloads or use fuel more efficiently. The Active
Aeroelastic Wing (AAW) project is located at NASA's Dryden
Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. The
project is evaluating active control of lighter-weight flexible
wings for improved maneuverability of high-performance aircraft.
The project is jointly sponsored and managed by NASA, the U.S.
Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Wright-Patterson Air Force
Base, Ohio; and Boeing's Phantom Works, St. Louis. "It works!"
concluded project manager Larry Myers