NOVA Next | The 100-Year-Old Idea That Could Change Flight | Science, Engineering & Technology | Document

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NOVA Next | The 100-Year-Old Idea That Could Change Flight

Learn how nature is inspiring new aircraft designs, in this article from NOVA Next. Modern airplane wings are stiff; they are generally designed for flight at one speed and direction. Bird and bat wings, however, are designed to alter their shape for different modes of flight, such as gliding and diving. Aerospace engineers are modeling the morphing ability of animal wings to design flexible aircraft wings composed of cellular modules with lighter materials and shape-memory alloys. Their goal is to create morphing aircraft that can function efficiently in any flight condition. This resource is part of the NOVA Next Collection.

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How do modern aircraft wings control flight? What are the limitations of the wings in modern aircraft?
Biomimicry is the application of models and systems found in nature to create solutions for human challenges. How do the designs of morphing aircraft wings mimic wings found in nature?
What are the benefits of flexible airplane wings?
How could morphing be applied to other fields of technology?
Brainstorm additional ways that engineers can mimic adaptations found in nature to design more efficient and better-performing technologies.