Airbus is launching a new flight-test campaign to evaluate high-span wings for future single-aisle aircraft, marking the next phase of its ‘Wing of Tomorrow’ research and technology programme.
Over the next three years, the aircraft manufacturer will design, build and flight-test full-scale wing extensions, which will be installed on an A321neo to assess the performance of different wing geometries in real flight conditions.
The extensions, each measuring several metres, will replicate a folding wing in its fully extended position during flight. Equipped with extensive instrumentation, they will collect data on wing behaviour and evaluate how a longer wingspan affects aircraft handling.
The flight-test campaign forms part of Airbus’ efforts to develop longer, lighter and more slender wings that improve aerodynamic efficiency and reduce fuel burn for the next generation of single-aisle aircraft.
Before flight testing begins, Airbus will use advanced digital modelling and wind tunnel testing to finalise the wing extension designs. The resulting flight data will help validate the technology and reduce development risk for future aircraft programmes.
The wing extensions will be assembled at Airbus’ Wing Technology Development Centre in the UK before flight testing takes place in Toulouse, France.
Airbus has already built three 17m ground-based wing demonstrators under the Wing of Tomorrow programme, which has evaluated more than 100 manufacturing and assembly technologies. Since 2014, the programme has received £227 million in funding through the UK Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) programme, supported by the Department for Business and Trade and Innovate UK.
