Morphing UAV rivals shape up for DARPA windtunnel examination
Lockheed Martin’s morphing unmanned air vehicle has entered windtunnel testing while NextGen Aeronautics’ rival morphing UAV will meanwhile enter tests in the NASA Langley transonic dynamics windtunnel next month.
Full-scale semi-span models of the morphing wings will be tested at speeds up to Mach 0.85 and altitudes up to 50,000ft.
The Lockheed Martin Skunk Works vehicle has a wing that folds upwards and inwards to reduce span and increase sweep for the high-speed dash.
NextGen’s wing has a scissors-like articulating structure, covered with a flexible silicone skin reinforced with metal mesh.
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