Adaptive Materials and Aerostructures: Revolutionizing Aerospace Systems

Abstract

This paper describes some of the most unique and dynamic aerospace technologies of our time. A brief historical overview traces modern Adaptive Aerostructures to their roots in subsystems of the F-14, through the bending, twisting plates of the 1980’s and the first warping-wing patents of the early 1990’s. This paper includes an overall description of the latest adaptive actuation technologies using Post-Buckled Precompressed (PBP) actuators, which enabled the first morphing-wing UAVs and world’s first post-stall maneuvering, convertible UAV which hovers like a helicopter then dashes like a missile. The paper describes the fundamental structural mechanics of these actuators and shows that they can provide up to an order of magnitude better performance than conventional adaptive actuators approaches. The paper describes future systems using such actuators in aircraft as small as 5mm to the nacelles of widebody aircraft. Coming advances are described including the latest and most capable flutter test and flight control surfaces for general aviation aircraft, business jets and commercial transports. The document concludes with a summary of the most modern optically adaptive materials and describes their performance in the first unclassified visual stealth aircraft.