NASA Flight Tests Validate Active Aeroelastic Wing Design Concept

March 26, 2005 A flight research project that put a 21st century twist on a century-old technology -- a high-tech derivative of the Wright brothers' wing-warping method of controlling an aircraft's turning ability -- can be summed up in two words: "It works!" That was the conclusion of project manager Larry Myers as flight tests in the Active Aeroelastic Wing (AAW) project at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., neared their end. Jointly sponsored and managed by NASA, the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory and Boeing's Phantom Works, the AAW project is evaluating active control of lighter-weight flexible wings for improved maneuverability of high-performance military aircraft.

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