Na na na na na na na na bionic-BATMAN! Boffins build bat-like electro-stimulated drone wings Scientists at the University of Southampton and Imperial College London have developed a wing made from polymers that flex when current is supplied, which could seriously increase the flight time of small drones by mimicking nature. The wing is made of a polymer that can change its shape mid-flight using the battery power of …
"Caspian Sea Monster, an experimental ground effects aircraft developed by the Soviets in the 1960s to fly about 10 metres (33 ft) across water"
Perhaps useful in an attack against Birmingham, what with all its canals that need crossing, but a ten metres range is hardly a threat to civilization.
I remember my dad telling me about how they would aim the AAA at the ocean in front of low flying attackers during WWII.
Seems the rounds would bounce off the water and more readily make a hit on the much larger surface area presented by the underneath of the plane instead of the slim profile coming right at you.
He also recalled how they would rock the boat so as to get the big guns low enough to join in.
Can't see the connection at all.
Ok, they've incorporated a polymer, the rigidity of which can be altered by passing an electric current through it, in the wings, which is interesting in itself. However, this has nothing to with the patagium of bats, flying squirrels, pterosaurs or whatever, where the intrinsic flexibility/rigidity of the patagium membrane doesn't change.
Sure, the aforesaid animals can (or could, in the case of the pterosaurs) alter the flexibility of the patgium, but only by stretching it, in the same way that a sheet of cloth is less flexible when stretched and under tension than it is when loosely supported.
Seems a bit weird that they feel they need to make this spurious comparison when what they're doing is already interesting enough on its own. Mind you, it's also a bit weird that they've chosen a Wing-in-ground-effect vehicle to do their testing.
this design more closely resembles the kamikazi attack ground-effect vehicles used by the Iranians. Their plan is to use large numbers of cheap disposable fast missile launchers to overwhelm the defences of western navies.
I can see that they would be quite keen on acquiring this technology as the weight reduction could increase the performance of the vehicles
see this from 2010
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/10/04/northrop_mld_and_bavar/
Er... they appear to have powered captive propellors at the front.
Stretched fabric, with none of this electro-polymer stuff wouldn't look any different.
Or even would do better with a decent designer.
I could make a better one out of balsa wood. I think Biggles and co did too. As did Orville and Wilbur.
Their wings even warped.
Surprised this is from an aeronautics department....
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