Image to right: NASA's Active Aeroelastic Wing F/A-18A research aircraft rolls upside down during a 360-degree aileron roll on a test mission.

The first series of flight tests to take place over the next several years concludes for NASA's Active Aeroelastic Wing (AAW) project. The flights are testing a theory that warping an aircraft's wings to improve turning ability can work. The idea actually dates back to the Wright brothers, who used cables attached to the wingtips of their 1903 flyer to twist the wing and turn the airplane. These modern-era flights use a modified F/A-18A fitted with flexible wings. If the concept is proven by the end of the test flights, results may help develop faster, more capable military aircraft.

AAW Team
NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, NASA Langley Research Center, The Boeing Company, U.S. Air Force Research Lab