Chennai, Sep 13 (PTI) What if aircraft wings could behave more like birds, adapting in real time to avoid dangerous stalls and even improving fuel efficiency.
Inspired by bird flight, researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT,M) have developed a novel “morphing skin” concept that could fundamentally change how aircraft handle one of aviation’s most critical risks, aerodynamic stall.
The research was led by Dr Rinku Mukherjee from IIT Madras who worked on the numerical code with Antony Samuel B, an IIT Madras alumnus, and on wind tunnel experiments and implementation with Dr Aritras Roy, also an IIT Madras alumnus.
This novel adaptive “external skin” dynamically reshapes in real time to prevent airflow separation, enhance lift, reduce drag and improve aircraft safety and fuel efficiency.
An aerodynamic stall happens when airflow separates from a wing, causing a sudden loss of lift and increased drag, which means that the aircraft is not generating sufficient lift to support its own weight and hence it begins to drop instead of staying airborne.
This study demonstrates a simple yet powerful innovation. An additional flexible wing assembly attachment dynamically reshapes itself as airflow begins to detach.
Instead of allowing the airflow to separate (which causes a stall and sudden loss of lift), this adaptive external skin aligns with the flow, keeping it attached and stabilising the aircraft even at higher tilt angles.
One immediate application is in commercial aviation, where the technology could enable safer take-offs and landings, particularly at busy or short runways, by allowing aircraft to operate efficiently across a wider range of flight conditions.
The system’s ability to enhance lift while limiting drag also translates directly into fuel savings and reduced emissions, aligning with the aviation industry’s push toward sustainability.
The findings were published in European Journal of Mechanics – B/Fluids (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.euromechflu.2025.204348), a peer-reviewed Elsevier journal that publishes theoretical, computational and experimental research across all areas of fluid mechanics.
The paper was co-authored by Dr Aritras Roy and Dr Rinku Mukherjee.
Elaborating, Dr Mukherjee, Associate Professor, Department of Applied Mechanics and Biomedical Engineering, IIT Madras, told PTI, “Our research taps into a universal curiosity in that birds rarely “stall,” yet aircraft, despite being inspired by them, still do.” The team bridged this gap by mimicking nature’s adaptability using engineering and smart materials. This system combines predictive computational models with real-world wind tunnel validation, and even integrates Macro Fibre Composite (MFC) strips that can sense and actuate shape changes in real time, Mukherjee added.
Mukherjee further said: “When a flight takes off, it always tilts itself to generate additional force to lift the airplane from the ground into the air. Sometimes the tilt can also happen due to some adverse flying conditions. In such conditions, the external skin (wing assembly attachment) tilts itself to a safe degree which continues to generate additional lifting force that keeps the airplane in air and/or prevents accidents.” Early results are striking. The morphing skin not only prevents flow separation but also enhances lift while minimising drag — opening the door to safer flights and improved fuel efficiency.
Crucially, the device works even beyond conventional operating limits, potentially offering pilots greater control in adverse conditions such as turbulence, bird proximity, or mechanical disturbances.
Sharing the current status of this research and possible timelines for real world applications, Rinku Mukherjee added, “This research is more than 20 years old where we have taken a concept to study separated flow and converted it into a physical device to actually control flight properties in real-time. We have experimentally validated the concept and also tested test cases and patented the same. Hence, we are ready to implement this in real aircrafts in real-time flight conditions as we speak.” Beyond improving stall resistance, the research points to several high-impact real-world applications across aviation and allied sectors.
The morphing skin concept, tested on a 3D wing with a standard (NACA 4415) airfoil configuration, demonstrates the ability to dynamically alter airflow characteristics without complex mechanical systems, making it highly attractive for next-generation aircraft design.
The innovation also holds promise for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and drones, where adaptive wings could significantly improve endurance, manoeuvrability, and payload efficiency.
Since the design avoids heavy actuators and relies on passive or semi-active deformation, it is particularly suited for smaller aircraft platforms where weight and energy constraints are critical. the research team said.
In defence and high-performance aviation, the technology could offer improved control during extreme manoeuvres, turbulence or combat scenarios, where maintaining stable airflow over wings is crucial. The ability to adapt wing behaviour in real time could enhance both survivability and mission performance.
The relatively simple add-on nature of the external skin opens up possibilities for retrofitting existing aircraft, reducing the barrier to adoption, they added.
Instead of redesigning entire wings, manufacturers could integrate morphing surfaces to upgrade performance, making this innovation not just futuristic, but potentially scalable and industry-ready. PTI VGN VGN SA ROH
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