{"id":6465,"date":"2025-04-25T15:28:31","date_gmt":"2025-04-25T13:28:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/leichtbau.dlr.de\/morphing-aircraft-spoiler-for-adaptive-drag-reduction"},"modified":"2025-08-25T14:41:08","modified_gmt":"2025-08-25T12:41:08","slug":"morphing-aircraft-spoiler-for-adaptive-drag-reduction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/leichtbau.dlr.de\/en\/morphing-aircraft-spoiler-for-adaptive-drag-reduction","title":{"rendered":"Morphing aircraft spoiler for adaptive drag reduction"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]The transonic cruise flight represents a compromise between the highest possible cruising speed and thus shorter flight time with the lowest possible fuel consumption. Aircraft manufacturers and airlines make this compromise in order to operate in a profit-orientated manner, particularly against the background of rising fuel prices and the pursuit of emission reductions in air traffic. At these flight speeds, however, transonic shocks still form on the wings. These shocks generate wave drag, which increases the overall drag of the wing. The buffet phenomenon can also occur, whereby vibrations are introduced into the wing structure. Shock control bumps<\/em> (SCBs) can be used in the vicinity of a shock to reduce the strength of the shock and thus save fuel and delay the onset of the buffet. In order to be able to retract such SCBs outside their design range or actively adapt their shape, they must be designed adaptively. A morphing spoiler can be used in different ways for transonic shock control. While one concept can form a height-variable SCB using only an adaptively designed pre-bent structure without additional actuators, two other concepts combine this principle of structural pre-bending with additional actuators – including shape memory alloys <\/em>(SMA). Additional support actuators enable precise shape control of the SCB so that it can be adapted to the different positions of the transonic shock.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space]