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Engineering

Active Flow Control for Drag Reduction in Commercial Aircraft

Quick fact

Researchers estimate that active flow control could reduce drag on commercial aircraft by 5 to 10%, translating to billions of gallons of fuel saved and millions of tons of CO2 avoided each year.

Why this is interesting

Ever noticed how a little flap or bump on a wing can dramatically change an aircraft's performance? What if we could control airflow actively, moment by moment, to make planes far more efficient?