Demonstration of Morphing Technology through Ground and Wind Tunnel Tests

Abstract

Through the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, DARPA, Morphing Aircraft Structures (MAS) program a half-span wind tunnel model of the Lockheed Martin morphing aircraft concept was designed, fabricated, and tested as a structural integrity element of morphing aircraft. The tests were conducted in the NASA-Langley Transonic Dynamics Tunnel (TDT). The model incorporated several technologies including integrated seamless wing fold assemblies (actuators and seamless skins) and a thermopolymer actuator. It was remotely actuated so that data was collected during wing fold mechanism movement, as well as during pauses at fixed fold angles. The model was representative of flight hardware in terms of materials and structural layout while meeting the requirements for entry into the TDT. Instrumented with strain gauges, accelerometers, and pressure transducers, data was acquired and correlated with aircraft design/analysis methods such as Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Finite Element Model (FEM) methods.