Design, manufacturing, and testing of a morphing winglet for a regional turboprop aircraft

Abstract

In this paper, the design, manufacturing and testing of a morphing winglet concept, developed in the framework of the Clean Sky 2 REG IADP AIRGREEN 2 Project is presented. Such an adaptive device is being developed by CIRA and manufactured by TECNAM to enhance wing aerodynamic efficiency in off-design conditions and reduce maneuver loads. The concept is based on two individual (asynchronous) morphing surfaces consisting of two “finger-like” mechanisms driving the same number of moveable surfaces (the upper and lower tabs), controlled by dedicated electromechanical actuators.