Wetenschap

Is this wing the future of greener aviation?

Modelled after birds, this wing can adaptively change its shape in-flight. Just by morphing it can help civil aircraft save up to 15% of fuel per flight.

Tigran Mkhoyan is showing a scale model of the SmartX-Alpha wing. (Photo: TU Delft TV)

Pressure sensors, glass fibres for nerves and servomotors instead of muscles – the award-winning SmartX-Alpha wing model has it all. And what’s more, it reacts to fluctuations in the wind like a living organism.


Inspired by nature

Five years ago Tigran Mkhoyan (Aerospace Engineering) – and two fellow PhD students – started working on the model. “The idea was to come up with an active morphing wing design that could be the future of greener aviation.”




Current aircraft are stuck with a wing shape that is generally designed for the phase they stay in the longest. “Like the cruise phase, for example. But anywhere outside of the cruise, this particular wing shape is not the most efficient,” explains Mkhoyan.


  • How does this morphing wing work? Watch the latest episode of TU Delft TV to find out: