{"id":263560,"date":"2025-08-08T03:31:58","date_gmt":"2025-08-07T17:31:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/?p=898296"},"modified":"2025-08-08T03:31:58","modified_gmt":"2025-08-07T17:31:58","slug":"nasa-uses-wind-tunnel-to-test-advanced-air-mobility-aircraft-wing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=263560","title":{"rendered":"NASA Uses Wind Tunnel to Test Advanced Air Mobility Aircraft Wing"},"content":{"rendered":"
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3 min read<\/p>\n

Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\"Two<\/a><\/figure>
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NASA employees Broderic J. Gonzalez, left, and David W. Shank install pieces of a 7-foot wing model in preparation for testing in the 14-by-22-Foot Subsonic Wind Tunnel at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, in May 2025. The lessons learned will be shared with the public to support advanced air mobility aircraft development. <\/div>\n
NASA\/Mark Knopp<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The advanced air mobility industry is currently working to produce novel aircraft ranging from air taxis to autonomous cargo drones, and all of those designs will require extensive testing \u2013 which is why NASA is working to give them a head-start by studying a special kind of model wing. The wing is a scale model of a design used in a type of aircraft called a \u201ctiltwing,\u201d which can swing its wing and rotors from vertical to horizontal. This allows the aircraft to take off, hover, and land like a helicopter, or fly like a fixed-wing airplane. This design enables versatility in a range of operating environments.<\/p>\n

Several companies are working on tiltwings, but NASA\u2019s research into the scale wing will also impact nearly all types of advanced air mobility aircraft designs.<\/p>\n

\u201cNASA research supporting advanced air mobility demonstrates the agency\u2019s commitment to supporting this rapidly growing industry,\u201d said Brandon Litherland, principal investigator for the test at NASA\u2019s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. \u201cTool improvements in these areas will greatly improve our ability to accurately predict the performance of new advanced air mobility aircraft, which supports the adoption of promising designs. Gaining confidence through testing ensures we can identify safe operating conditions for these new aircraft.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"A<\/a><\/figure>
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NASA researcher Norman W. Schaeffler adjusts a propellor, which is part of a 7-foot wing model that was recently tested at NASA\u2019s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. In May and June, NASA researchers tested the wing in the 14-by-22-Foot Subsonic Wind Tunnel to collect data on critical propeller-wing interactions. The lessons learned will be shared with the public to support advanced air mobility aircraft development.<\/div>\n
NASA\/Mark Knopp<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

In May and June, NASA tested a 7-foot wing model with multiple propellers in the 14-by-22-Foot Subsonic Wind Tunnel at Langley. The model is a \u201csemispan,\u201d or the right half of a complete wing. Understanding how multiple propellers and the wing interact under various speeds and conditions provides valuable insight for the advanced air mobility industry. This information supports improved aircraft designs and enhances the analysis tools used to assess the safety of future designs.<\/p>\n

This work is managed by the Revolutionary Vertical Lift Technology<\/a> project under NASA\u2019s Advanced Air Vehicles Program<\/a> in support of NASA\u2019s Advanced Air Mobility mission<\/a>, which seeks to deliver data to guide the industry\u2019s development of electric air taxis and drones.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis tiltwing test provides a unique database to validate the next generation of design tools for use by the broader advanced air mobility community,\u201d said Norm Schaeffler, the test director, based at Langley. \u201cHaving design tools validated for a broad range of aircraft will accelerate future design cycles and enable informed decisions about aerodynamic and acoustic performance.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"Close-up<\/a><\/figure>
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In May and June, NASA researchers tested a 7-foot wing model in the 14-by-22-Foot Subsonic Wind Tunnel at NASA\u2019s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. The team collected data on critical propeller-wing interactions over the course of several weeks.<\/div>\n
NASA\/Mark Knopp<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The wing is outfitted with over 700 sensors designed to measure pressure distribution, along with several other types of tools to help researchers collect data from the wing and propeller interactions. The wing is mounted on special sensors to measure the forces applied to the model. Sensors in each motor-propeller hub to measure the forces acting on the components independently.<\/p>\n

The model was mounted on a turntable inside the wind tunnel, so the team could collect data at different wing tilt angles, flap positions, and rotation rates. The team also varied the tunnel wind speed and adjusted the relative positions of the propellers.  <\/p>\n

Researchers collected data relevant to cruise, hover, and transition conditions for advanced air mobility aircraft. Once they analyze this data, the information will be released to industry on NASA\u2019s website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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