Blown air trials herald flap-free flight

In a first for the aviation industry, Manchester University researchers and engineers at BAE Systems successfully trialled two ‘flap-free’ technologies on the MAGMA unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) from Llanbedr Airfield.

Wing circulation control and fluidic thrust vectoring were the key technologies demonstrated during test flights. The former takes air from the aircraft engine and blows it supersonically through the trailing edge of the wing to provide control for the aircraft, whilst the latter uses blown air to deflect the exhaust, allowing for the direction of the aircraft to be changed.

Aircraft that manoeuvre with a blown air solution could be lighter, more reliable and cheaper to operate. The technologies could also improve an aircraft’s stealth as they reduce the number of gaps and edges that make aircraft more observable on radar.

Bill Crowther, senior academic and leader of the MAGMA project at Manchester University said: “The partnership with BAE Systems has allowed us the freedom as a university to focus on research adventure, with BAE Systems providing the pathway to industrial application.