Airbus Set To Fly Morphing Wing Testbed

Airbus expects to start flight testing early next year of its Xwing future wing demonstrator, which will integrate and fly breakthrough wing technologies on a Cessna Citation VII platform in various flight conditions. Following these trials, the business jet will be fitted with a morphing wing that is planned to be flight tested in 2024, the company said last week. 

The work on the “extra-performing wing” started in September 2021 and is part of the manufacturer’s Wing of Tomorrow program. According to Airbus, the demonstrator’s morphing wing will be compatible with any propulsion solution and aircraft configuration and would reduce carbon dioxide emissions, contributing to the company’s decarbonization roadmap.

Similar to how birds soar, the wing will be able to adapt its shape, span, and surface to increase flight efficiency. Various technology will be investigated to enable the active control of the wing, including gust sensors; pop-up spoilers or plates that are rapidly deflected perpendicular to airflow; multifunctional trailing edges that dynamically change wing surface in flight; and a semi-aeroelastic hinge.

The demonstrator is hosted within Airbus UpNext, an Airbus subsidiary created to fast-track future technologies by building demonstrators at speed and scale to evaluate, mature, and validate “potential new products and services that encompass radical technological breakthroughs,” according to the company.