Can special ‘skin’ make an unflappable new Air Force drone?
By: Kelsey D. Atherton  
The Air Force Research Laboratory-developed Variable Camber Compliant Wing successfully completed a series of flight experiments in September and October of 2019. This unique wing concept changes shape to improve aerodynamic performance and adapt itself to various flight conditions and missions. (Air Force)
Birds fly without flaps. The wings that propel birds and winged mammals through the sky are flexible, organic forms that smooth-shift feathered limbs or a canvas of skin to adjust for pitch and yaw, angling the creature through the sky. Human-created fixed-wing aircraft have, for over a century, relied on rigid control surfaces and distinct flaps to steer in flight. A new wing, tested on a drone by the Air Force Research Laboratory, wants to change that, offering flapless flight to future fliers.
Called the Variable Camber Compliant Wing, the new form features a “continuous skin†membrane, which can bend and warp to alter wing shape to the same effect as flaps in conventional aircraft. What is different is that the smooth, consistent plastic surface allows for quieter, more aerodynamic flight. It also, by reducing the need for distinct parts and harsh edges, is a lighter mechanism than a traditional flapped wing.
https://www.c4isrnet.com/unmanned/2020/01/16/can-special-skin-make-an-unflappable-new-air-force-drone/
