From Bird Feathers to Plane Wings

Scientists from the RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia have developed a  system which mimics the way that birds’ feathers monitor the air around them, in order to help reduce the amount of turbulence which aircraft experience.

Feathers help birds to avoid pockets of turbulence in the air, by monitoring the air flow for any signs of disturbance. Small changes in pressure caused by gusts or turbulence can be detected, and this sensing is known as phase-advancing sensing.

In order to apply this concept to a plane, wind tunnel experiments were performed in the laboratory where the effects of gusts were measured on the leading edge of the plane wing.

So far only flight-testing on micro planes has been performed, but the scientists are confident that this system will be able to be scaled upwards to larger aircraft. In addition to increasing passenger comfort during flight, this technology will also prolong the lifespan of aircraft itself, as if turbulence can be avoided there will be lower stress or fatigue on the plane wings.

The researchers have applied for a patent on this invention.