It’s a Bird! It’s a Plane! Its… Something Else…
What Is It? And Why Does It Look Like That?
Looking at the concept design, this stealth plane has a resemblance to the scales of some sort of reptile. However, this mock-up is of a new type of airplane wing, one that can change and mold itself to the flight conditions. This wing is created from tiny, identical pieces that interact with each other and can change into different shapes and forms. It would require less power and maintenance compared to traditional wings, and it would allow an airplane to be used for more than one specialty without having to change parts and greatly modify the wing structure manually. The wing pieces are created from polyethylene, and would be able to change their shape to better specialize for landing, cruising, and maneuvers during the duration of the flight.
What Could This Be Used For?
According to MIT and select materials labs, this would make airplanes and stealth planes much cheaper to produce. With the polyethylene being very cheap and the pieces easy to produce, this could create an ease in which new types of wings and airplanes could be tested and produced on a cheaper scale. Also, this technology, if created and developed correctly, could be used in lunar-landing units and other space vessels to keep prices and weight down. The futuristic design and principle would take years to fully develop, but the impact it could have in the aeronautics community could be very substantial.
