Morphing Wing Technologies

Morphing Wings Technology: Large Commercial Aircraft and Civil Helicopters offers an alternate view to existing topics and provides a fresher look on the research that is currently being conducted on morphing aircraft including coverage of industry design, real manufactured prototypes, and certification. Morphing aircraft are multi-role aircraft that change their external shape substantially to adapt to a changing mission environment during flight. Practical applications of morphing devices are presented—from the challenge of conceptual design incorporating both structural and aerodynamic studies to the most promising and potentially flyable solutions aiming at improving the performance of commercial aircraft and UAVs. The book consists of eight sections as well as an appendix which contains both updates on main systems evolution (skin, structure, actuator, sensor, and control systems) and a survey on the most significant achievements of integrated systems for large commercial aircraft. This is an invaluable reference for students in aeronautics and aerospace fields who need an introduction to morphing discipline as well as senior professionals desiring a first approach with the morphing potentialities. Provides current worldwide status of morphing technologies, the industrial development expectations, and what is already available in terms of flying systemsOffers new perspectives on wing structure design and a new approach to general structural designDiscusses hot topics such as multifunctional materials and auxetic materialsPresents practical applications of morphing devices